Times and Choas
by SuperSonicSpeed
Summary: Sonic, Lancelot's only son, is thrown into a different timeline as revenge by King Mephiles. While Lancelot begins to look for any possible way to get him back, Sonic bumps into a hedgehog who looks exactly like his father. Will the hedgehog help him? And what is Mephiles' intentions? (Father/Son) (T to be safe)
1. Plans

**Hello everybody and welcome to the story! As usual, I do not own ANY of the characters and well, let's get started! Enjoy!**

"As soon as we arrive, I'm lying down and sleeping for the next couple of moons..." Red arms stretched with a long yawn, tired from the extended mission.

"Here I thought the great Gawain would train harder to try to win against Lancelot for once." The young cat grinned.

"Percival, need you remind me?" The red Echidna groaned.

"You need not waste your breath Percival," Lancelot grinned, "No amount of training will allow him to achieve my abilities."

"You arrogant-" Percival interrupted Gawain's complaint,

"What will you do when we arrive Lancelot?"

Lancelot looked at the castle that lied roughly two miles from the large plain they walked on, "I will spend all the time I can with my son before being sent on our next mission." His eyes saddened, "He's been feeling lonely since his mother..."

Percival and Gawain nodded and quickly changed the subject, "How much longer until he starts his training?"

Lancelot let off a small chuckle, "He is but a child at the moment." He looked at the small slingshot in his hands, "Let him be a child until the right time."

The knights smiled and continued forward, unaware to them that a shadow had followed them since the end of their mission.

'_There they are._' A hedgehog began to form from the shadows below as he casted his neon green eyes on the small group. Slowly, his eyes narrowed, '_The ones who nearly destroyed my entire army._' He sneered, '_You shall pay dearly for intruding into the outskirts of my domain!_'

He entered his shadow once more and silently continued to follow them until they were roughly a mile from the towns gates.

"Daddy!" Yelled a small blue hedgehog that had a smile brighter than the sun's rays.

Lancelot got on one knee and 'oofed' as the little one ran straight into his arms. A small smile etched itself on his face as he embraced the child tightly, "Hello Sonic."

Sonic's smile soon turned into a pout as he pulled away, "What took you all so long?! You promised you'd be here by the last moonlight!"

Lancelot pet Sonic's quills, "I apologize, but there was a small... delay in our mission."

Percival and Gawain looked at each other then back hoping not many questions would be asked.

"What matters is that you are home now." Sonic smiled as he hugged Lancelot again, "I hope to hear a great story tonight father."

Lancelot's smile shifted to a more pensive look as he measured the distance from the gates. After a few seconds, he looked Sonic in the eyes, "How did you get out of the castle? Let alone, this far from the town gates?"

Sonic turned pale, "Um... I... Funny story... er..."

"You know you are _not_ allowed outside castle grounds without supervision." Lancelot folded his arms as he stood up.

Sonic scratched the back of his head, "They _were_ with me..."

***Flashback***

"Hurry! We need to get to the gate before dad arrives!" Yelled Sonic as he ran.

"We are going as fast as we can!" Two knights yelled from behind.

'_Wait a minute!_' Sonic stopped suddenly, making the knights almost topple over.

"Is something wrong young one?" A knight asked.

"No, I just remembered something." Sonic looked around, "I shall return as soon as possible."

Sonic took off leaving the two knights behind, "If we cannot find him-" The second knight interrupted, "Lancelot shall have our heads."

"We have to find him!" They quickly headed towards the direction they felt the wind hit them when Sonic rushed by.

'_What can I get dad as a welcome back gift?_' Sonic inspected each item until his eyes landed on a red pendant.

"A very interesting piece, would you not say so child?" Sonic looked up at the shop keeper and listened, "It is said that this pendant is but a fragment of a stone that holds untold power and- ... Are you listening?"

Sonic had lifted the red stone up carefully and noticed a bit of silver stretched down like claws, holding it to the silver chain that glinted in the sun's rays.

"This is perfect." Sonic smiled as he took out a pouch full of rings, "Will this do?"

The shop keeper looked surprised as he counted, "Why... yes..."

Once the shop keeper gave Sonic his change, he began to look for the knights that had escorted him into town, '_Oh no..._'

The two knights had forgotten of Lancelot's possible fury and were busy showing their swords and telling stories to the women that lingered nearby.

'_If I wait father will reach the gate before I do!_' Sonic looked at his shadow, '_It is almost sundown!_' sprinted off, '_They won't notice my leave._'

As he reached the gates, he noticed the door was just about to close after a large carriage had made its entrance, '_Time to see how fast I can really be!_'

Sonic let out into an all out sprint, surprising the guards with a rush of wind. Sonic laughed happily when he saw the knights trying to fix their helmets, '_They never saw me!_'

***End Flashback***

'_If I tell them _that_ it will ruin the surprise!_' Sonic looked up and grinned, "I just wanted to see if I could get away without being noticed exactly like the way you do when you no longer want to hear their petty arguments."

Percival and Gawain held in a chuckle.

"Let us see how you fared." Gawain looked over the landscape and chuckled, "Well, looks like we have another who is as swift as you Lancelot." He looked over to the castle gates, "I see no sign of panicked knights, though I'm sure they will cower once you show your presence."

Lancelot sighed as he got down to eye level, "Promise me you won't do it again."

"I promise." Sonic was about to take out the crystal pendant from his quills when he noticed something over his dad's shoulder, "Dad... Who's that?"

Percival and Gawain looked back immediately with their swords ready, Lancelot stood up holding out his sword and covering a confused Sonic.

"I warned you..." Percival whispered, "We should have waited a bit longer before coming back to our lands."

The hedgehog, covered with armor, slowly made his way to the group and stopped two meters away, "Sir Lancelot... Knight of the Round Table and faithful to that vile and weak King Arthur." The voice was pure ice, each word laced with utter disgust.

"You will not talk about our king in such a way!" Gawain yelled.

"Who are you!?" Percival asked, '_He looks nothing like the creatures we faced in the darkened lands._'

Lancelot glared him down as his question remained in his head, '_And why do you look like me?_'

The same quill style, height, and even the streaks. If it weren't for the fact that the hedgehog was dark grey lined with blue grey streaks, anyone would mistake him for Lancelot.

"My name is _King_ Mephiles the Dark and _YOU_ are the ones who barged into _MY_ territory." He clenched his fists.

'_The king of shadows!_' The knight's put up their guard, '_He finally revealed himself._'

"You are the one who ordered your minions to take the lives of the innocent to feed your fowl shadows!" Percival countered.

Mephiles ignored her as he readied his sword, "You shall regret ever intruding into my lands."

The knight's eyes widened as two Mephiles clones appeared and all three swords turned to pure crystal.

Lancelot whispered, "Sonic, take my small pouch and go back to the castle. You may find need of what is inside."

Sonic nodded as he did what he was told, noticing that Mephiles had not yet acknowledged his presence.

The three knights clashed with the three shadows and started an all out brawl. Sonic did his best to not look back and immediately took out what was in the pouch.

'_A slingshot... He remembered..._' Sonic tied the pouch on his side, filling it with rocks on his way back.

The knights began to have trouble thanks to the clones abilities to sink into the ground. They grouped together as the three shadows circled them.

"Any plans?" Gawain asked.

One of the shadows leaped into the air nearly hitting Lancelot's helmet.

"What in the name of...?" Lancelot observed as the shadow of his sword seemed to liquify and pour into Mephiles's sword. Slowly, Mephiles had a perfect crystalline copy of Lancelot's Arondight.

"I believe this sword suits me better than a lower class knight like you." Mephiles chuckled.

"Let our skills be the one to decide such a preposterous comment." Lancelot raised his sword and swiftly lunged towards the dark king..

Mephiles merely jumped side to side, avoiding the chance of being impaled.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Lancelot turned around towards the sound, "SONIC!" He started to head towards his direction, but was blocked off by by Mephiles.

"Did you really think I did not see the little runt?" Mephiles laughed, "While you were all focused on me, another shadow of mine went after him."

Lancelot managed to break a bit of the crystal as he brought it down from an aerial attack.

"I must admit, I was quite disappointed when I saw him." Mephiles blocked Lancelot's blade second attack with ease, "I had imagined him more... aggressive looking? Stronger?" He smirked, "I guess the apple indeed doesn't fall far from the tree."

Lancelot growled and shoved Mephiles as hard as he could, "Percival, Gawain! Get Sonic now!"

"I wish we could!" Both knights were having trouble getting around the two shadows.

Spears appeared above Lancelot and one by one fired towards Mephiles at a rapid pace. Mephiles raised the sword and sliced through each one.

"I have to say, I'm very dissapointed with you as well. Are you not supposed to be the strongest of the Knights of the Round Table?"

"He is the strongest!"

Everyone looked up to see Sonic with his knees skinned from a fall.

'_He out ran my shadow!?_' Mephiles eyed the child suspiciously while avoiding another round of spears.

Percival shoved the shadow back as far as she could and appeared next to Sonic, "Remain silent and restrain yourself."

"He is not one you should anger." Gawain added as he stood next to him as well.

Sonic was about to say something but was interrupted by the Dark Lord.

"You should listen to them little one." An evil smirk appeared, barely making his ragged teeth visible. His eyes nearly froze Sonic's core, "You never know when I will strike."

"Get Sonic out of here." Lancelot's voice had tensed and betrayed his calm facade.

"But dad I-"

"Are denying your father's wishes!?" Lancelot growled.

Sonic's ears pinned down at the scolding.

"You do not wish to let him see your defeat?" Mephiles chuckled, "How cowardly."

Lancelot began to glow red as energy poured through him.

Gawain quickly picked up Sonic and ran along with Percival, trying to get as far away from the oncoming attack as time permitted. Mephiles' shadows chased after them, but for a different purpose.

Mephiles sighed, "Do you really want to go through that attack?"

"Chaos Blast!" Soon, the red energy expanded, lifting up dirt and destroying the earth below him.

Lancelot quickly got out of the dust cloud and waited to see if his attack had done its job.

"A powerful attack for a hedgehog like yourself."

Lancelot turned around and barely had a chance to raise his sword and block Mephiles's jump attack.

'_The sword..._' Lancelot gazed at the cracks that decorated the blade, '_It's glowing red..._'

"I believe it is time for you to taste the calamity of your attack."

Lancelot dodged the first swing and landed in the crate he had created with his first attack, but he quickly realized that the first swing was the least of his worries.

"Chaos..." Mephiles jumped down with his sword raised, "Blast!"

At the second swing, the chaos energy erupted from the blade and headed straight for Lancelot. The Knight's eyes widened as he used one more trick.

"Chaos Punishment!" Lancelot disappeared as the energy consumed the field behind him.

"Where did that-" Mephiles' ear twitched as he ducked right before Lancelot could land a blow to his head from behind.

Mephiles raised his sword for the final blow while Lancelot was in the air, "Say goodbye, Lancelot of the Rou-"

Lancelot looked confused as to why Mephiles had not brought down his sword. Mephiles shook his head and a small rock landed an inch from his foot.

He sneered, "Who dares to...?"

Both Lancelot and Mephiles looked up from the crate and saw the five year old hedgehog holding his slingshot.

"Sonic!?" Lancelot yelled with disbelief.

"Dad! Percival and Gawain got ambushed by more of those things and were forced to split to different directions!" Sonic yelled panicked.

Mephiles glared daggers at the sight of the one who stopped his attack. He began to sink into the shadows ready to intercept his new target. Lancelot raised his sword and aimed a blow towards Mephiles, but the king had already disappeared and begun to move swiftly towards the little one.

"Sonic! RUN!" Lancelot began to race towards his son.

Sonic froze when the dark shadow passed below him and without warning, grabbed him by the scruff and lifted him up. Mephiles laughed as Sonic yelled for his father.

"Set... him... down..." Lancelot's voice darkened.

Mephiles' eyes remained fixed on the blue hedehog, "I believe you are in no position to make any orders."

Lancelot grew worried as Mephiles began to inspect the little hedgehog. Sonic whimpered as Mephiles grabbed his chin and made him look straight into his eyes.

"I swear Mephiles, if you hurt even a quill on his head-" Lancelot clenched the blade's hilt, unable to finish his threat.

"Such a rare color among hedgehogs." Mephiles averted his gaze for a second, "Wouldn't you say Lancelot?"

"What is it that you want?" Lancelot held back the desperation that threatened to enter his voice.

Mephiles chuckled, "There is no need to worry," He set the Sonic down and pulled his arms back, holding them with firm grip. His free hand began to caress Sonic's quills, "He's too young to survive in the shadow's domain, let alone perfom even the simplest of tasks."

Sonic shivered and closed his eyes as a cold hand made it's way through his quills, '_Please don't find it!_'

A light tug was all he felt as the hand withdrew.

"A quill?" Lancelot spoke absent-mindedly, fearing for any harm that may befall his son.

Mephiles continued to caress the quills, eventually stopping and inspecting the one he had taken, "To track him..." Mephiles smiled wider, showing his canine like teeth while a laugh that chilled the bones of the knights ripped the tense silence, "Through time, that is."

"NO!" Lancelot raced towards Mephiles only to be blocked by two other clones, "Out of my way!"

As he struggled, Mephiles walked a couple feet away from the crate and a dark portal opened before Sonic.

Mephiles neared the young ones ear as he whispered, "Know that I will come for you." Mephiles picked Sonic up by an arm roughly, causing him to whimper. Mephiles continued as he stared into the young ones eyes, "If only to watch your father's face when he sees you as a pet, bringing wine to his new master and king." His voice rose for the knights to hear, "Say goodbye to your _son_, you _pathetic..._ _excuse..._ of a _knight_!"

Percival and Gawain jumped in from Lancelot's sides and brought down their swords on the new intruders, "Go Lancelot!"

Mephiles let go of Sonic's arm as Lancelot sprinted towards them.

"Daddy!"

Lancelot dove to grasp his son's hand, but missed by centimeters due to a foot that stomped harshly on his gloved hand.

"Now, now..." Mephiles lifted his foot. Lancelot was about to dive after Sonic, but was kicked aside by the evil king, "I cannot allow you to aid him, can I?"

Slowly, Lancelot's mind recorded the terror filled voice as it echoed through the closing portal. "Lancelot..." Percival and Gawain's ears pinned down as they finished off the last clone.

The said knight slowly rose, never averting his gaze from the portal that once stained the earth.

Mephiles stepped by his side, "Do not fret. I would never allow much harm on my future slave."

Lancelot swung his sword letting out a stressed yell. Mephiles merely sunk back into the ground and mixed into the shadows nearby. His voice echoed, "Let this be a lesson to you all. If you take something of mine, I'll personally take something that is yours."

"MEPHILES!" Lancelot stabbed the ground with his sword and slowly fell to his knees.

Percival slowly approached the distraught knight and spoke with urgency, "Lancelot... I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear but we need to hurry and check on the towns people."

"There could have been an attack within the gates while we were distracted here." Gawain added.

Lancelot sighed, "Both of you will check on the town." He stood up, "I need to look for Merlina."

Gawain and Percival nodded in understanding and took off behind Lancelot.

'_What did he mean, through time?_'

**That's all the time I have for today! Thank you all for reading! Please leave a review if this is something you're interested in reading, have a question, or just want to critic. It is HIGHLY appreciated! I hope to see you all soon! Until then! :)**


	2. Unexpected

**Welcome back everyone! I do not own ANY of the characters and well, let's continue! Enjoy!**

_Meanwhile in a different timeline..._

"I should really start questioning the places the emeralds land in..."

The newly fallen snow beneath Shadow's shoes crunched with every step as he followed his senses towards a chaos signature.

"At least it's clear enough for me to look around."

He continued to walk, occasionally stopping to try and sense which direction to go. After hours of searching through a white blanket, he came upon a small mountain covered with various sized caves.

"It has to be around here..."

Each cave he searched held a strange icy blue glow on the walls while ice peaks creeped down from the ceiling. Eventually, he reached an opening that emitted a strong pulse at the halfway point up the mountain.

"This must be it."

Shadow cautiously entered the small cave, ears flicking for a second when small rumbles invaded the silence. He looked back and noticed a few chunks of snow falling from the top of the cave's opening and roll down.

'_Avalanches..._'

He continued further into the cave as silently as possible and felt the energy begin to pulse. Soon, he reached the source but found something he didn't expect. On the ground, curled up into a tiny ball, was a small blue hedgehog breathing slowly as he slept. Shadow blinked for a second,

'_Strange, the Chaos energy is coming from him?_'

'_He's shivering like mad._' He placed a hand carefully on the kit's forehead and immediately pulled back, '_If he stays in this weather any longer, he'll start to reach a more advanced hypothermic state._'

Shadow looked at his surroundings and realized he was already at the end of the cave, '_How did he end up here?_' He sighed, '_First things first, I need to get him to GUN's medical base._'

The small hedgehog let out a soft groan as he was picked up bridal style. Already, he began to curl up into Shadow, trying to absorb any of the warmth from the white chest fur.

Shadow's eyes turned into a cold glare when a voice boomed from the communicator on his wrist, "Agent Shadow! Have you located the Chaos Emerald!"

'_Idiots!_'

Immediately, a medium rumble began and he could feel the snow beneath him begin shake. Shadow began to run as fast as he could towards the entrance of the cave while holding onto the child tightly. The rumbling began to sound like thunder as it neared while the entrance of the cave already had some falling snow.

'_I'm NOT going to be caved in here!_'

Shadow broke the sound barrier before exiting the cave, behind him, a cloud of pure snow followed him as it gained speed. Shadow reached the flat plain and began to slow down. Stopping and looking behind him, he watched the cloud of snow cover the mountain and slowly begin to quiet down once it reached the base.

"Agent Shadow! Do you read!?" The Commanders voice echoed once more.

Shadow let out a small growl as he answered annoyed, "I heard you the first time and so did the avalanche."

There was silence for a second on the other end as the Commander absorbed what he heard. Quickly, he turned to the goal of the mission, "Did you find the emerald."

"No, but I did find something else. I'll explain once I arrive at the base and drop off someone in the medical area." Shadow didn't wait for a reply and shut off his communicator.

"D-dad-dy?"

Shadow looked at the sleeping child as he mumbled, '_So he was with someone..._' He made a quick glance at the mountain before he turned to the direction of his destination, '_There's nothing I can do now and if we get caught by any of the oncoming storm, he won't survive._'

The sound barrier was broken once again as he ran north towards the more warmer climate, '_He's not shivering as much... This could be trouble._'

As soon as he arrived at the base, a medical team was ready and waiting. Shadow gently placed the blue kit on the stretcher and he was immediately taken inside to warm up.

Shadow then began to make his way towards GUN's central command where the Commander's main office was held. Each turn, corridor, staircase, room, and elevator was mapped out in Shadow's head. He smirked when he noticed one of the new recruits seemed lost in the maze like base.

'_He'll figure it out on his own... eventually._' Shadow walked right passed him, '_If he can't do something as simple as memorizing his home base, then what's the point of keeping him here?_'

He almost face palmed when he saw another soldier with the same scenario, '_Humans... Even a lab mouse could figure his way in and out._'

Shadow began to peel off his glove and place it on the scanner to open the heavy mechanical door.

**_Agent: Shadow the Hedgehog_**

**_Access: ... Granted_**

The door slowly opened from the bottom allowing his access. After a few more corridors, Shadow arrived to a metal door covered with bolts. He merely shook his head as he scanned his ID card and turned the handle. Inside stood the Commander.

"Welcome Agent Shadow." The Commander turned from looking at the screens and walked over to his desk, "Have a seat."

Shadow crossed his arms, "Standing is fine."

The human chuckled a bit before becoming serious, "So tell me, if it wasn't an emerald that gave off the chaos energy, what was?"

"A young hedgehog... He can't be any older than five or six."

The Commander's eyes widened and he quickly reached a communicator, "Scan the child for chaos energy as soon as he shows signs of recuperation and report to me immediately." He turned to Shadow but mumbled more to himself, "I thought only you and the echidna could contain chaos energy within yourselves."

An awkward silence set in as they waited for any new information on the child.

"Well... have you-"

"Idle chat isn't something I do Commander." Shadow went to a wall and leaned back, closing his eyes.

"Right..." He turned his attention away from Shadow to the video monitors and saw the same thing he normally did, '_Those new recruits need to use their heads a bit more..._' He noticed how a small mouse managed to get from one side of the base to the lunchroom in, what someone would consider, record time, '_Outshone by a lab mouse... what next?_'

A scientist burst through the door, almost hitting the hedgehog that was leaning against the wall. He never noticed Shadow's infuriated glare.

"Sir! We have taken a look into the child's condition and he has now been stabilized. Had he come in any later, his hypothermia could have caused severe damage."

The Commander nodded, "As for the scans?"

"Well... that's where we need some of your help sir." The scientist looked down.

"How so?" The commander raised an eye ridge.

"You see... The little hedgehog refuses to stay still during the scan and he moves far too much for us to inject him with a sedative to calm him down."

The Commander remained silent for a few seconds before looking up again, "Bring him in." He looked at Shadow, "Be ready in case he runs."

Shadow nodded and remained where he stood. A couple minutes later, a couple of scientists came in holding the struggling blue hedgehog's arms and legs.

"P-PLEASE! I JUST WANT TO GO BACK HOME! I HAVE NO DESIRE TO SERVE THE KING OF SHADOWS!"

"We're not here to hurt you," Cooed one of the scientists, "We just want to help you."

The kit didn't listen and continued his fight, "I will NOT fall for lies such as yours!"

"He has a very interesting way of speaking." A scientist spoke confused, "Almost, for lack of better words, old."

"Set him down." The Commander spoke.

"But-" The scientist stopped as he realized that he was given an order.

As soon as the kit's feet touched the floor, he began to try and tug away.

The Commander approached him slowly, "Hello little one," He took another step and kneeled down to eye level, "I am the Commander of this base. What is your name?"

The child studied the human for a few seconds but didn't respond. He only glared through his tears and began to struggle once more.

"All I want to know is your name." The Commander spoke softly.

"So you can cast a spell that will leave me in the hands of the dark one?" He shook his head left and right as everyone looked at him confused, "I think not."

"Spells?" A scientist said, "I think this kid needs therapy!"

A small argument erupted between the scientists until a deep voice interrupted.

"Just tell them your name." Shadow growled.

Without thinking, the child stood up straight as he spoke. His heart leaped with joy at the sound of a familiar voice, "Sonic. My name is Sonic." He turned around and confirmed his thoughts when saw the dark striped hedgehog behind the scientists. Sonic's burst of energy allowed him to loosen the scientists grip.

"DADDY!" He tackled Shadow and gave him a huge heartfelt hug. Shadow merely stood there, trying to comprehend what he just heard and why this child was showing him such affection.

"DADDY?!" Everyone yelled before they fell silent.

"Y-You...? Had a... a son!?" The Commander asked as he failed to hide his surprise in his voice and eyes.

"Of course not." Shadow glared and spoke with a tensed calm, "This is the first time I've seen him."

Sonic's ears flattened as he yelled, "Please father! Forgive me for disobeying!" He cried, "I didn't know what to do when Percival and Gawain were forced to split! One of the evil king's shadow's came after me and I got scared!" Tears rolled down his face, "Please forgive me!" He fell to his knees, bowed his head, and cried, "Please!"

Everyone just stared confused waiting to see what the Ultimate Life form would say. Shadow merely stepped aside, bearing a passive face, and began to head out, "I've completed my mission and already said what I know. My job here is done."

Sonic grabbed Shadow's leg, "Has Mephiles cast a curse on you or done something that makes you fail to recognize your only son?" Sonic asked quietly as he looked Shadow straight into his eyes.

"I don't know who that is kid." Shadow briskly took his leg away, "But I think you need to get your head on straight."

"Daddy..." The child felt heart broken and hugged himself for comfort.

"I've already stated." The door began to close behind Shadow, "I have no son."

The scientists saw the little broken hedgehog lie down on the floor and sob. They used this as a moment of opportunity to apply the sedative while the Commander went after Shadow.

The door reopened as the Commander ran out, "Hold it right there agent!"

Shadow paused, crossed his arms, and asked with an annoyed voice, "What is it?"

The Commander studied Shadow for a second and was about to say something when he was interrupted.

"The answer is no." Shadow began to walk away.

"I haven't even-" The Commander was interrupted again.

"I'm not taking in the kid."

"Then you can consider your perfect mission streak over." Shadow seemed pensive for a second before the Commander continued, "I never thought the Ultimate Life form could ever fail a mission."

"Your childish reverse psychology attempts won't work on me." Shadow waved the Commander off and turned on a corner.

"What would Maria say?" The Commander said immediately without thinking, '_He'll probably have my head now for saying that name._'

Shadow froze for a second, "I've left my past behind me."

'_Might as well push it and see what happens. I'm in this deep._' The Commander spoke just enough for Shadow to hear, "Does that mean you've left her behind as well?"

The hedgehog remained still as he listened.

"You can't imagine her next to you? Her face showing sadness and wonder while she tries to figure out why you wouldn't help out a kit when she went out of her way to help you after you were created?"

'_Why Shadow? Why?_' Said hedgehog clenched his fists as he heard the familiar voice echo in his mind and bounce from wall to wall. The voice began to fade away as he spoke, "If that kid causes any, and I mean _ANY_ problems, I'm bringing him back here."

The Commander nodded, "I don't think he'll cause you much trouble. He seemed submissive to you when you asked him to tell us his name. In turn, we can use that to our advantage and he'll probably be more willing to cooperate with our studies."

Shadow said nothing, he only watched as the scientists carried Sonic away, dressed in a small gown, and being prepped for scanning.

"Let's follow them to the lab," The Commander ordered, "If he wakes up during the scan, you can calm him down."

'_Calm him down?' _Shadow began walking towards the laboratories,_ 'How?_'

An elevator brought them down to the underground laboratories. He walked into a window room and watched as the scientists attached small suction cup wires throughout the small body. Once everyone cleared, three pillar like structures rose and surrounded the small bed. Soon, a hum radiated from the three scanners that had begun to rotate around the young hedgehog.

'_He will be known as the Ultimate Life Form, but most importantly, he'll be the one to help cure my granddaughter, Maria._' Shadow shook his head as he pushed away the memories of the Ark.

The scanners began to slow down and Sonic had already begun to twitch right after they came to a complete stop.

"You know your mission Agent Shadow." The Commander stated.

Shadow walked over to the small bed after the scientists had removed the equipment from Sonic and picked him up. Sonic groaned and barely opened his emerald eyes.

"Fa..ther?" His voice was hoarse and tired.

"Sleep." Shadow stated.

Sonic curled up a bit more into Shadow and began to drift once more.

The streaked hedgehog made no change in his expression as he headed out. A scientist went up to the Commander after Shadow exited the room, "Are you sure about this?"

"Don't question my orders." Was all the Commander said as walked back to his office to continue surveying the base.

**That's all the time I have for today! Thank you all for reading! Please leave a review if this is something you're interested in reading, have a question, or just want to critic. It is HIGHLY appreciated! I hope to see you all soon! Until then! :)**


	3. Wait Game

**I am SO SORRY for taking so long! So to keep things short, I do not own ANY of the characters and well, PLEASE DON'T HURT ME! XD Enjoy!**

Lancelot rushed towards the village doors with his knights behind him, all wearing their helmets, "Be ready for anything."

They nodded as a voice of the guards echoed,

"OPEN THE DOORS FOR OUR KNIGHTS HAVE ARRIVED!"

A chain could be heard clinking as the gate covering the large double doors rose first. Then, the double doors opened with a creak and revealed many villagers with their heads bowed. The knights entered in slight haste as Percival whispered, "Looks like there were no intrusions or disturbances."

"There's too many people here." Gawain whispered, "If you-"

Lancelot interrupted, "Run I might start a panic," He never looked back at Gawain, "I am fully aware."

The gate and doors closed with a thud as the knights marched to the castle. Once they neared the palace, a horn echoed through the wind, signaling an arrival.

'_Not Now!_' Lancelot was ready to rush towards the doors when he saw the king make his way out.

His royal robe dragged behind him, the hilt of his blade sparkled with the rare hit of sunshine from behind the robe. His fingers were coated with rings and his clothes had a sheen to them thanks to the finest silks used to craft them. His quill and arms were of the deepest blues and his fur a dark peach. His muzzle carried a smile when he saw his friend and once he arrived at the top step, he spoke,

"Welcome back my Knight's of the Round Table." Said knight's bowed in unision and heard their king continue, "Tonight we may sleep soundly knowing that our knights have returned safely and unharmed."

A crowd behind them had formed and a deafening cheer erupted. Few holding up the village's symbol high and proud.

"And may we also thank those brave knight's who volunteered to carry the weight of protecting the outer walls of our lands while our Knight's of the Round Table were doing battle against the wicked!"

Another cheer began, but Lancelot's head was elsewhere, '_Every second that passes is another second I could be using to find Sonic!_'

The king looked at his knights, "Please rise and let us celebrate your return." He smiled, "I hope to hear about your mission."

The three rose and began walking behind the king as the crowd dispersed to their daily routine. As soon as they entered the castle and the doors closed, Lancelot spoke,

"Your majesty, I must go see-"

The king interrupted him with a slight smug grin, "Sonic... Correct?" Lancelot's breath hitched a bit before the king continued, "I will send one of our servants to find him and-"

Lancelot's head was bowed, "Forgive my interruption but," He closed his eyes for a second before looking up, "The person I need to see is Merline."

"Merline?" The king asked confused. He looked at Percival and Gawain who had averted their saddened gaze, "What has happened Sir Lancelot?"

Lancelot's fist clenched as he fought the knot in his throat, "The king of Shadow's took Sonic away from me..."

The king's olive eyes widened and understanding began to show in his features, "Go on. Percival, Gawain, and I will be waiting in my throne room. I wish to hear the details of the mission while all three of you are present."

"Thank you." Lancelot made a quick bow and rushed off towards Merline's quarters.

Lancelot headed deeper into the castle, careful not to bump any patrolling knights or maids. Once he arrived to a large room full of small pillars and a large one in the center of the room, he made a quick look around and pulled a torch that concealed a lever. Wind began to burst through the center pillar as a hidden passage revealed itself along with a narrow staircase. He made one more look around before entering and began his descent. The opening automatically shut itself and a small torch lit itself. Lancelot snatched it quickly and rushed down the spiral stairs, already feeling the chill of the damper environment. He saw mist beginning to gather around him as he walked over to the open door way.

Crystals, potions, mysterious ingredients, and books covered the shelves that clung to a dark purple wall. Mirrors covered the corners of the walls while a cauldron remained as a centerpiece. The only light there came from the candles that were hung on the walls making a dim glow. A small table was at the side and sitting on the chair was the spell caster herself.

"Merline." Lancelot greeted.

"Sir Lancelot..." Merline spoke as she looked at the crystal that remained perched on her scepter, "What brings you into the depths of this castle?"

"I require your assistance in locating my son."

Merline remained quiet before she spoke, "I see..." she stood and walked towards her books, "Do you recall the last location that you saw him?"

"The field outside our lands."

Her hand paused before she touched her book, "How is it that you lost your child there?"

Lancelot sighed, "I rather not get into that detail as of yet. What I do need is aid to locate him in a different time."

"Time?" Merline looked at Lancelot directly, no longer avoiding his gaze, "Sir Lancelot, my knowledge of time travel is not as extensive as I wish-"

Lancelot interrupted her, his tone serious, "I only need to know if you can manage to locate him."

Merline sighed, "I will do what I can." She turned to her mirrors, "Realize that time is infinite and this can possibly take many days."

Lancelot held in a yell, "Will having something of his help with the search?"

"Yes." Merline spoke as a few books levitated from the shelves and opened on the desk.

Lancelot made a slight hesitation before reaching into his quills and pulling out a small piece of paper. He slowly opened it and revealed Sonic's first baby quill. He let out a small sigh trying to ignore the memory that came with such a small object, '_This has brought me much luck in battle. Now let us see if that luck was a fluke._'

"Here, use this."

Merline walked over and gently took the quill, "I shall notify you as soon as I find or know something about him."

Lancelot nodded before heading up the spiral stairs again and placing the small torch back on its pedestal. The entrance opened once more and he walked out ready to speak with his fellow knights.

'_Wherever you are Sonic, please, be safe._' He rushed off towards the throne room, '_I just hope that we may find you before Mephelis can lay another finger on you._'

He stopped in front of the throne room entrance, took a deep breath, and entered.

"Lancelot." Blaze spoke.

"What of the fate of your kit? Is he safe? Has Merline been able to locate him?" Gawain bombarded with questions.

Lancelot looked and shook his head, "It will not be as simple as I hoped."

"But-" Blaze stopped when Lancelot raised his hand, "We are in the presence of our king and speaking about this situation is-"

The king interrupted Lancelot, "Not a waste of my time." Lancelot looked up as the king continued, "Should there be any kind of assistance you need aside from Merline's, do not hesitate to ask."

Lancelot bowed his head.

"Now then," The king sat up a bit on his throne, "What be the status of the mission?"

"Accomplished." The knights spoke.

"We managed to destroy the barriers and walls of the castle hidden in the shadows." Gawain spoke proudly.

"How were you able to locate the castle?" The king asked curiously.

"We stumbled close to a few of his soldiers and followed them silently until they revealed their location." Blaze spoke.

"I see... What of his armies?"

"We nearly took out all his guards, soldiers, and messengers." Lancelot answered, "Our only issue is he will probably create more once he has dealt with rebuilding his defenses."

"What of the nearby village?"

"We had to relocate them to a village further west." Blaze took out a small map, placing it on the floor and pointing out the areas, "The village is currently abandoned."

"How about those captured by Mephelis?"

The knights shook their heads.

The king nodded before asking his next question, "How exactly did the King of Shadow's find you?"

The knights remained quiet for a second, then Lancelot spoke, "We are not yet sure your majesty... but due to this unexpected attack..." He didn't continue.

"I understand. This threat is clearly something we must keep an eye on." He stood up, "I shall let Merline know to keep an eye in the sky." He spoke gently, "I am sure you are all exhausted and so you may leave to rest and a feast will be made in the early sun."

The knights bowed and exited the room.

"What if Merline can not-" Lancelot interrupted Gawain,

"Should the worst come, I shall head to the source of this and force _him_ to bring me my son back."

"But as of now, Merline is working on it." Blaze spoke and made a light glare at Gawain as they reached four separate hallways, "I bid you a good night and may Merline bring good news to you in the morrow."

Lancelot nodded, walked off, and entered his room. Blaze and Gawain looks at each other then did the same thing.

The striped knight let out a sigh as he sat down on the bed, his head in his hands.

'_I hate this feeling... A knight helpless to save his own son!?_' His hands clenched a few quills, '_It's both shameful and unthinkable..._' He took a deep breath and leaned back, '_There must be something else I can do._' He turned his head to the right and cringed when he saw Sonic's teddy bear on his pillow. He leaned over and picked it up carefully, as if afraid of bringing harm to it.

'_Make haste Merline for Mephelis' greedy claws only grow nearer._'

_**Meanwhile in the Kingdom of Shadows...**_

A senile laughter echoed throughout the cold ambiance of the castle. On the throne sat King Mephelis, his legs over the arm rest while and elbow supported his head on his hand.

"My plan has turned out far better than what I expected!" His grin only widened as he looked at the image the shadows he manipulated created, "This, Shadow the Hedgehog, is the exact image of Lancelot and better yet, he has turned out to be a _very_ cold individual." He brought down his legs and chuckled as he stretched, "One father who wants his little brat back and would do nearly anything to get him. While the other, who could care less about the child, will do anything to be rid of him. This indeed has proven to be very entertaining."

The last image that appeared before Mephelis dispersed his shadows was Shadow carrying Sonic through the base.

**That's all I wrote for now! Thank you all for reading! Please leave a review if you have a question or just want to critic. It is HIGHLY appreciated! Also, Thank you all for favoriting and following, it makes me VERY happy! How happy? The world may never know O.O I hope to see you all soon, hopefully the next one won't take too long! Until then! :)**


	4. The New Things

**YAY! This one didn't take as long! O.O And you're all right! I did mean Percival and not Blaze! XD I'm really sorry if that threw anyone off! As for Merline... I'll answer that question next chapter ;). Also, thank you for letting me know it's Mephiles not Mephelis and for giving me punctuation advice :)! I really do appreciate it! Hopefully, I won't slip to that bad habit often... I haven't really thought about Rouge and Amy in the Camelot scenes... hm... I think it's a really small possibility they'll make an appearance but only time will tell. Now then, I'm going to get a first aid kit just in case and let you go on to the story. As usual, I do not own ANY of the characters and enjoy! (Sorry if I missed a question!)**

'_This kid hasn't even moved since I told him to sleep._' Shadow continued to walk through the hallway towards the vehicle area of the base, '_That mountain must have taken more of a tole than I thought on him._' one turn, '_That or he really _is_ good at taking orders._'

He shrugged it off as he entered a door to the large garage area. A cold wind blew past him and the clicks of his shoes only grew louder on the cement floor. After passing by a few jeeps and tanks, he reached his very well known motorcycle. Shadow looked around for signs of anyone and lifted a small piece of metal from the lower tip of the tank. Then he pressed a button that gave him access to a personalized secret compartment under the tank. As soon as he grabbed his keys he closed everything and took off.

'_I'll have to come back for it later..._' he sighed, '_I knew this kid would eventually start giving me set backs..._'

Shadow finally arrived at the main entrance only to see that a thunderstorm had rolled its way over the base.

'_Perfect. That Chaos Emerald was my only means for Chaos Control but instead I find-_' he felt a surge of energy come from the blue hedgehog in his arms, '_Hm..._' he looked at the rain and back at Sonic, "It's worth a shot." He closed his eyes and concentrated, "Chaos... Control!"

Instantly, he appeared in his living room, '_It worked...?_'

He made a mental note as he began to make his way past the medium sized kitchen towards a door on the left side of the wall ahead. Shadow, with slight care, moved the child to one arm and opened the door leading to his room.

The plush black carpet was crushed heavily under his rocket shoes as he placed Sonic on the crimson sheets. He removed the child's interesting looking shoes, but left the child with his green tunic. Last, he covered him with the blanket and put a small pillow under his head.

'_Whoevers child this is has an interesting taste in clothing._' Shadow sat down on the chair next to the window, '_Now then, how can a child contain chaos energy without an emerald? We have all but one of the Chaos Emeralds in the science lab vault and this last one has only eluded us._' he looked at Sonic who was taking even breaths, '_He didn't have one in his possession when I saw him and_ _until the kid wakes up I won't be able to get any answers._' he looked up at the stars above as he remembered what the Commander had told him, '_I haven't really been able to move on from you, have I Maria? Why else would I take in a child?_' Slowly, he began to nod off with his minimal memories of his friend.

_**Morning...**_

The suns rays hit the eyes of the streaked hedgehog making him groan annoyed, '_Morning?_' he grunted, '_I haven't slept like that since-_' He paused when he realized a blanket had been carefully placed over his shoulders, '_Who?_'

On his legs laid the young blue hedgehog, using the arm rest as a pillow and clutching a smaller blanket close to him.

'_When did he crawl on my lap?_' Shadow shook his head and sighed as put his arms under the sleeping boy. He lifted Sonic slowly as he stood, allowing the blanket that had been placed on him to fall. After laying Sonic back on the bed, he began his day with his usual routine.

"Daddy?"

Shadow cringed at the title as he spat out the tooth paste from his mouth.

"Are you sick father!" Sonic panicked and was at Shadow's side trying to get a closer look at the strange white foam over his mouth.

Shadow ignored him and turned to the sink, washing off the rest of the foam.

"I'm fine." Shadow spoke passively as he wipe his face with a towel, "You've never seen toothpaste before?"

Sonic looked confused, "Toothpaste?"

'_You can't be serious... What kind of parents did this kid have!?_' Shadow sighed and took out a spare toothbrush. Then lifted Sonic on the Marble of the sink.

"It's very simple. You use this," he lifted the brush, "to clean your teeth."

Sonic took the brush carefully and inspected it, "No cloth?"

"Cloth?" Shadow asked as he took out the toothpaste.

"Yes, a cloth. That is what I normally use to rub off any filth from my teeth."

Shadow put some paste on Sonic's toothbrush, "A cloth isn't enough for dental hygiene... What do you do if your tooth hurts?"

"Easy! The tooth is pulled out." Sonic smiled, "I hope that does not occur to me soon... Most knights end up skipping a day of patrol due to the pain."

Shadow stopped for a minute and decided to ignore the entire remark. He then grabbed his toothbrush, "Just copy what I do." Sonic was about to ask something else but was interrupted, "This paste is made to make your breath smell like mint. It's not dangerous and you _don't_ swallow it."

Sonic nodded and began to copy Shadow's every movement. After a brief lesson on the importance of flossing, he was done.

"I have never felt my mouth feel this... fresh."

Shadow began turning on the water to the tub and the next question came,

"How did you get all that water?" Sonic asked surprised as he looked in the tub.

'_This is going to be a long start..._'

**After a bath and full explanation of plumbing later...**

'_Finally... some peace..._' Shadow thought as he flipped a pancake, '_I should've told him to stay quiet from the beginning._'

The house was full of different aromas and on the table was Sonic, wearing the bath towel he was given and a small pout.

'_I always help dad with breakfast._' Sonic's eyes got teary eyed at another thought, '_Does he still hate me?_' His ears fell flat as he looked down.

Shadow peeked behind himself and managed to see the gesture. Quickly, he went back to what he was doing, trying to avoid _that_ conversation. As soon as he finished two stacks of pancakes, he placed a plate in front of Sonic and sat down.

"Thank you father..." Sonic began to eat slowly and the silence Shadow enjoyed remained. But after a minute,

"How did you get on that mountain?"

Sonic looked up and saw his "father's" arms crossed, his eyes serious.

"It was Mephiles." he looked down again, "Do you not remember the battle you had-"

"I already stated I don't know a Mephiles." Shadow interrupted annoyed, "Why do you continue to use that story?"

"Because it is true!" Sonic stood up on the chair, "I know what I saw dad! Why don't you believe me? Did Mephiles truly erase your memory?"

"I will not have a child speaking to me in such a way now _sit down_." Shadow spoke as his toned darkened.

Sonic's ears flattened as he realized what he had done and sat down immediately.

"How is it that you have Chaos Energy emitting from you?"

Sonic was surprised by the question, "I am afraid I do not understand..."

"You have a very special type of energy within you, haven't you noticed?" Shadow stirred his coffee and took a sip, "Or are you going to tell me another tall tale."

Sonic remained quiet, '_What is he talking about?_'

"I expect you to answer," Shadow smirked as he played his next card, "or are you going to disobey your _father_ again?"

Sonic's eyes widened and he looked up with desperation in his eyes, "NO! I-I... I was unaware of this energy, I swear!"

Shadow nodded as he took another sip, "On that mountain, did you see any peculiar gems laying around?"

'_Gems? Is father a jewel collector now?_' Sonic shook his head, "No... I was unconscious until we reached that strange place."

Shadow sighed, "I've heard enough."

The meal went on in silence, only the clock ticking and the occasional shuffling of paper as Shadow read the news. Sonic looked around the kitchen quietly,

'_This is all very strange..._' He looked at the microwave, the radio, and the T.V., '_What are all these mechanisms?_'

Sonic snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Shadow say, "Come with me."

He stood up and followed Shadow back to the room.

"Sit down on the bed." Shadow spoke as he lifted up a small box from under the bed. He examined the pair of light blue shoes and small gloves, then grunted, '_G.U.N. couldn't resist putting their symbol on these, could they?_' He proceeded to put them on Sonic, '_How absurd._'

"Let's get some fresh air." Shadow said as he tying the laces of Sonic's shoes.

"We are heading outside?" Sonic asked.

"... Yes. Where else do you find fresh air?" Shadow was about to head to the front door when a certain question made him pause.

"I wished not to say anything in front of those people yesterday, but, what happened to your clothing? Where have you left your armor and tunic? You have only worn those gloves and," he paused for a second and continued, "did you remove the metal from your shoes?."

Shadow turned around with an annoyed expression and saw nothing but pure innocence in Sonic's eyes.

"Also, where is _my_ tunic? You only put these strange cotton cloths on my feet and these oddly designed blue shoes."

After thinking of what the child said for a second, Shadow spoke, "You'll be fine like that. Your old clothes will bring unwanted attention and on top of that, they were dirty." He took a step out but realized that Sonic still held a look of discomfort. Shadow rolled his eyes, "But if it bothers you that much, we can get you some new clothes."

"Thank you father!" Sonic smiled as he rushed towards Shadow's side and began walking to the front door, '_Maybe after spending some time together, his memory will come back!_' the front door closed and they made their way down the stairs onto the sidewalk, '_Then, we can go back to our true home._'

As they past a street post, Sonic couldn't help but notice an antique looking poster that read, _Ye Olde Camelot Renaissance Fair._

'_A fair?_'

**I don't think that counts as a cliffhanger... does it? Anywho, Thank you all for reading and leaving reviews! The reviews can be anything you like, a question, a critic, anything. It is ALWAYS highly appreciated! Also, Thank you all for favoriting and following, it makes me jump up and down with glee! I will see you all next update and enjoy your week! **


	5. Just a Glimpse

**HI EVERYONE! You didn't think I'd abandon this story did yah? Anywho, thank you all for your patience! I'm sorry this took so long (writer block, distractions, and etc.) but enough of the why's! I bet you're all eager to start reading, SO as usual, I DO NOT OWN ANY of the Sonic Characters, etc. etc. etc. Questions will be answered below! Enjoy!**

**'_Thought_'**

**"Speech"**

"You cannot even get a _fool_ to come up with such comedy!" Mephiles chuckled as he swirled the contents of his glass and took a sip. A knock at the door broke his concentration of the images before him. His eyes glared through the door as his voice chilled the air,

"**_Leave_**."

"B-but Sire," a servant spoke shakily, "your b-breakfast is ready."

Mephiles snapped, "Are you disobeying me!? Need I send you as food to my shadow's!?"

"N-NO! I shall leave, I apologize your excellency!" Foot steps echoed away quickly from the door as Mephiles looked back at his entertainment.

"Not that it matters." He took another sip while he spoke to no one in particular, "Your replacement shall be coming soon." He glanced up at the image of Sonic and a grin appeared, "But until that time comes," He laid back on his pillow, "I shall see my fun continue."

**With Lancelot**

Lancelot twisted and turned on his bed for a minute before waking up in a cold sweat. His hand reached his forehead as he took deep breaths.

'_That is the second time tonight I dream of Sonic's face as he fell through that portal._' He stood up and quickly got dressed, '_I need to see Merline now!_'

As soon as he strapped on the last of his armor, he took off through the door and almost rammed into Gawain.

"Are _you_ not the one who tells _me_ to be diligent at all times?" Gawain questioned half playfully.

"I do _not_ have time for petty games Gawain." Lancelot said annoyed as he moved to the side, but Gawain constantly blocked his path.

"Where exactly are you rushing off to?" Gawain asked, "You do realize the time, am I not right?"

"You know where I am headed Gawain and I swear if you do not step aside in the next _five_ second, I _will_-!"

"Calm down Lancelot, there is no need to fight here." Percival interjected, "Though he is not showing it now, Gawain is rather worried about your health and wishes you to head towards the dining room for breakfast." She looked at Gawain, "He just never jumps to the point."

Lancelot looked at Gawain who had simply walked past Percival and himself,

"It is up to him whether he wishes to eat or not," He stopped walking and looked back at them, "I am not to blame if he is suddenly forced into battle and falls thanks to his lack of energy."

"Besides, Merline said she would call for you when she found something." Percival added.

"I appreciate your concerns of my well being, but my son comes first." Lancelot stubbornly replied.

"Then I order you to come with us and eat your fill."

Lancelot turned and quickly bowed along with the other knights before his king.

"Let us head for the dining area, shall we?" The king began to walk.

"But I..." Lancelot stopped himself and sighed defeated, "I am starting to believe you are abusing your power my king."

A chuckle escaped the kings lips as he continued walking, "Only when it comes to the well being of my people."

Lancelot allowed himself an empty chuckle and entered the dining area along side his comrades. His eyes cringed when he saw what was set on the table,

'_These are all Sonic's favorites._'

Oats, fruits, meats, eggs, syrups, breads, crepes filled with custards, and so much more decorated the long table. Lancelot took a step back to leave but a hand grasped his shoulder,

"At least eat the fruit." The King spoke kindly, "You will need the energy."

Lancelot merely nodded as he sat down on the table, grasping and nibbling on the said fruit. A bowl of porridge was placed in front of him, but he would only stir it with his spoon. Occasionally, he would lift a bit with the spoon and watched it drop back into the bowl. A small remark from the King snapped him out of his trance,

"So that is where he gets it from."

Lancelot looked up and asked confused, "Your majesty?"

"You are doing what Sonic does whenever he is not hungry." He set his spoon down, "By now you would tell Sonic to stop and not to play with his food." The King wiped his mouth with a cloth napkin and revealed a grin, "I wonder what he would say if he saw you doing that?"

Lancelot sighed and pushed the bowl away. He picked an apple from the basket on his left and proceeded to take his first actual bite.

The King chuckled as he continued, "I am pretty sure he would complain of how unfair it was and ask you if he could jump straight for dessert so it would be fair."

Gawain and Percival looked at the King curiously and confused, '_Why would he bring Sonic up now? He knows it is touchy subject at the moment._'

Lancelot paused mid-bite and spoke quietly, "After saying 'No' numerous times he would cross his arms and pout." He stared at the apple, "Then a grin would appear on his face and he would ask me to take him to the lake so we could spend all day together skipping stones and telling stories." A ghost of a smile appeared on his features, "His favorite has always been the story of the day his mother and I met." His smile grew as his eyes closed, "I can still hear his laugh whenever I tell him about-"

"Sir Lancelot!" A knight proclaimed as he slammed the door open, snapping the said Knight out of his memories.

'_Out of all the times he could barge in..._' The King thought slightly annoyed as he saw the knight bow, '_Lancelot was _just_ getting in a better mood._'

"I apologize for such a harsh interruption my king but Merline has requested Sir Lancelot's presence." He looked over to said knight, "I was told that this was of the utmost importance."

'_Hopefully she bears good news for him.' _The King looked at Lancelot,_ 'I do not believe he will be able take another hard blow._' He nodded at Lancelot after looking at his plate, "I believe you managed to get enough food into your system. You may take your leave."

"Thank you." Lancelot bowed and rushed off to Merline.

**In Merline's Quarters**

'_This is starting to get out of hand._' The liquid in the cauldron before her was starting to rise from the sides as it swirled like a whirlpool, '_That knight should have informed Lancelot by now._'

"Merline!"

She turned to look at Lancelot then back at the potion, "There is no time for greetings just stand before the cauldron!"

Lancelot did as he was told and watched Merline raise her staff over the liquid. The whirlpool slowly rose and took the form of a tornado. Once stable, she slammed the bottom of her staff to the floor thus making the tornado erupt then condense into an orb. A small stream of liquid flowed from the cauldron to the orb and an image began to appear.

Lancelot let out a small breath of relief, "He... He still lives." A smile appeared on his face as he heard his son speak and point at a poster, "_Ye Olde Camelot Renaissance Fair_? I have never heard of such a title."

"Neither have I." Merline thought for a second, "Do you believe their fairs are anything like the ones here?"

Lancelot was about to answer her when a deep voice, similar to his own, brought his attention back to the orb,

"We are **_not_** going to a fair." Shadow appeared in full view, arms crossed, and an annoyed expression on his face.

Lancelot's eyes widened for a few seconds before narrowing darkly, "Who is that imposter? Is it Mephiles disguised as myself!?"

"Fortunately not Sir Lancelot," Merline answered, "Mephiles is still among this timeline."

Lancelot looked at her, "I do not believe the word "fortunately" applies until we know who this phony really is Merline."

His son's voice made him look back up at the liquid orb.

"But we always go to the fairs in our lands together and-" Sonic's pleading was interrupted.

"I already said no." Sonic's expression deflated as Shadow started to walk away. He paused when he noticed Sonic wasn't following him, "You can stare at that poster all you want, but my answer is final."

Lancelot saw his son's expression show panic when Shadow began to walk further and further away from him. His eyes darted over at the poster, then at Shadow, then back.

"Is he just planning to leave him there?!" Lancelot asked to no one in particular.

Sonic's panicked eyes then turned to a look of determination that Lancelot knew all too well. He watched as his son ripped the poster off the tree and ran after Lancelot's doppelganger.

"Father wait!"

The image of the orb faded as no more liquid flowed into it and disintegrated.

"Your son never gives up easily, does he?" asked Merline.

"No." Lancelot answered. He narrowed his eyes and looked at Merline, "That look a like has a cold heart." He began to pace, "I am almost sure it is one of Mephiles' copy's who cast a spell to make him look like myself." He clenched his fists, "Then, he tricked Sonic into believing he is his father."

"That is not certain Lancelot." She walked over to a book case and scanned the titles, "If we go on with a mere theory we can end up hurting someone who is not-"

"_He_ is hurting _my_ son. My _only_ son." Lancelot nearly hissed, "Did you not see how he was treating him? He simply ignored his request and spoke back with an acid tone! His eyes held nothing but annoyance and contempt!" He slammed his fist on a nearby table, "Then he has the nerve to just walk away and leave him alone in a place he knows nothing about!?"

Merline was not phased by the knight's outburst, she just continued to scan her books, "Sonic chased after him, did he not? With his speed, I am sure he caught up to the stranger easily. Also, if Sonic was in any real pain, would we not be able to see it?"

Lancelot remained quiet as he calmed down. After a few minutes he asked,

"Is there anyway you can make another orb to keep watch on him?"

Merline took out a book and opened it as she spoke, "I am afraid that this spell only works after being fed the full moon's light. Had you not gotten here when you did," she flipped a few pages, "you would have missed your opportunity to see him."

Lancelot thought for a second, "Merline, have you been able to find-"

"A spell to create a portal through time like Mephiles?"

Lancelot nodded and watched her move towards her potions.

She looked at them, returned her attention to the book, and sighed, "I tried numerous times while that visual spell was forming, but there was a... small issue."

Lancelot's left eye brow raised, "What kind of issues are you talking about?"

"Whenever I tried to create a portal," She finally looked at Lancelot's eyes, " I was blocked by dark energy."

"I am sure this is _his_ doing." He grabbed a book, "Do any of these explain how to get rid of a block?"

"Yes, in fact," Merline had placed various ingredients on the table, "I am only missing a key ingredient."

Lancelot huffed, "Now you are to tell me there is a very hard to get ingredient that can only be found in some treacherous domain, correct?"

"Careful," Merline smirked, "or I will have you creating your own potions."

"What is it that you need?"

"I need a shadow crystal from the evil king."

"That should be no problem."

"How so?" She asked curiously.

"I managed to land a few blows during our duel." Lancelot shut his book and put it down, "I am sure a crystal remained somewhere in the fields, _Merlina._"

"You finally got my name correct." She chuckled, "All it took was for you to read a book."

"You never corrected us." Lancelot started to walk out.

"Merline and Merlina bear the same meaning so I saw no point in correcting it." She began reading her book once more.

"Still, it is better to be called by ones true name." Lancelot shut the door and ran off to the training grounds where Percival and Gawain trained.

"Good afternoon Lancelot." Percival greeted once Lancelot arrived.

"What news-" Gawain was interrupted.

"There is no time to waste." Lancelot spoke fast, "Both of you, I need your help on the fields. I shall give you the details on the way." Lancelot began to race off with Percival right behind him.

"You could at least stop interrupting me when I speak." Gawain huffed as he followed soon after.

**Bwahahahahahaha! The dreaded BOLD writing. Anywho, I'm sorry this is short but like I said, writers block was a nightmare on this one. I'll try to make the next one longer and hey, maybe we'll see some unexpected stuff. Thank you again for your patience and PLEASE leave a review. I'd love to know your thoughts, criticism, questions, and anything really (It's nice to read opinions). Also, thank you to ALL who have favorited and followed this story and those who don't have an account that stop by to check to see the if there's been an update (I'm sure that's a hassle sometimes)! **

**Question Time:**

**- Will Eggman make an appearance?**

I haven't really given this much thought to be honest. Now that I think about it, it may be a nice addition... Hm... We'll see. There's a small chance, but not definite.

**- Are we going to get to see Adult Sonic?**

Tricky question, um... If you are referring to a future adult Sonic, you'll have to wait and see ;)

**- Does this story have any connection with the games or is it just the same characters?**

This isn't a continuation of story for the game so you are correct when you say this is separate. But I have to admit, I love that idea (wish I thought of it!)! I think it would make a pretty good One-Shot actually. Why not give it a go?

** That's all I have for now! If I missed your question, I apologize! Feel free to throw a tomato at me until I answer! :D I'll be seeing you all next chapter (Which will be a Sonic and Shadow episode)! When that will be, it should be within the month that this is posted. So until then, Sayonara! OH! If you see the Writer's Block Monster, tell him to take a hike!**


	6. Worth a Try

**HI EVERYONE! I AM SO SORRY for taking so long! A lot of stuff to do and blah blah blah. Anyways, here's the new chapter! Hopefully it was worth the wait! :D As usual, I DO NOT OWN ANY of the Sonic Characters, etc. etc. etc. Enjoy!**

**SPEACIAL AUTHORS NOTE AT BOTTOM!**

**'_Thought_'**

**"Speech"**

"On todays local news-"

A small tapping sound made Shadow's ear twitch as he picked up his mug from the table and changed the channel.

"Our forecast of the week shows sunshine-"

Shadow's ear twitched once more when he took a sip of his coffee. He waited for a few more seconds before he eased back onto the couch and changed the channel once more.

"There is still no sign of Eggm-"

Shadow sighed as he switched off the TV, "What is that kid up to?" He set down his coffee on the small table in front of him and began to walk towards his bedroom, "Whatever it is, he's been at it for at least 5 minutes."

He paused outside for a second and heard the sound again. Shaking his head, he opened the door, "I thought you said you were going to take a..." Shadow froze with an unreadable expression, "...nap."

There wasn't a mess like he expected. Instead what caught his attention was Sonic who stared at picture frame in his hands.

"Why did you take that from its place?" Shadow walked over to the child and _tried_ to gently slide the frame out of Sonic's small hands and put it back on one of the tall dressers.

Sonic put on the most innocent expression he knew and said, "I was looking for a picture of mom."

'_He _still_ thinks..._' Shadow mentally face palmed, "You _need_ to rest, your eyes are near closing."

Sonic nodded and pulled the covers over himself, a small confused expression on his face.

"I'll wake you up in 30 minutes."

Sonic had already closed his eyes and Shadow quietly closed his door. The elder hedgehog sat back on the couch and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes allowing his mind to wander.

'_I should probably get dinner started..._'

He finished his coffee as he walked to the kitchen and began going through the cupboards.

'_Now where did I leave that cook book..._'

**30 Minutes Later**

Dinner was nearly completed when Shadow's ears began to twitch.

'_Now what is he doing?_' He stopped for a minute when he realized what the sound was, '_Whimpering?_'

Shadow entered the room in a rush and saw that Sonic was not only whimpering, but there were tears cascading down his closed eyes.

'_He's... He's crying in his sleep?_'

Instinctively, he sat down on the bed and grabbed Sonic's shoulders. Shadow then began to shake the child gently, but instead of waking up, Sonic began to kick and thrash.

'_What kind of nightmare is he having?!_'

Sonic's eyes snapped open and he began to struggle against Shadow.

"It's me!" Shadow yelled frustrated.

Sonic stopped and slowly began to compose himself. The second he realized who the striped hedgehog in front of him was, he jumped straight into his arms. The movement surprised Shadow and his mind went blank,

'_What exactly... do I do now?_'

Sonic continued to shake while Shadow, in a bit of awkwardness, patted Sonic's back. After a couple minutes, Shadow decided to take him to the living room and sat him on the couch,

"Stay here, I'll-"

"DON'T LEAVE ME!" Sonic jumped onto Shadow, almost knocking him over, and held on tighter. Shadow could already feel some of his fluffy chest fur straining to stay attached to his body.

Shadow held in his annoyed and slightly pained tone, "I'm only getting you a glass of water."

Sonic hesitated as he let go slowly and after a few seconds, he had a glass of water in his hands. Shadow sat down and watched as the blue hedgehog guzzled down the water. Sonic then leaned against his side, accidently digging in some of his quills. Slowly, Shadow's hand came to rest on the slightly trembling Sonic's shoulder and began to speak.

"What exactly did you dream about that had you on edge?"

Sonic shook his head and wiped away the building tears.

Shadow's expression held a bit of annoyance, "Holding things in isn't exactly the best thing to do."

Even after a couple minutes, Sonic remained silent.

Shadow sighed, "Since you don't want to talk, will you at least eat dinner?"

Sonic looked up, nodded, and began to try to stand on his own. Shadow cringed inwardly at the sight and proceeded to carry him to one of chairs that were set near the table. Sonic slouched a bit when he was put down, but his ears perked up at Shadow's voice,

"There is one thing I didn't get a chance to do for this dish. Think you can help me out?"

Sonic smiled weakly and nodded.

Shadow set down an orange and Sonic immediately began to peel it. Once he was done, Shadow removed the remaining skins of the peeled orange and decorated the plate.

"I never knew you could create such a platter." Sonic finally spoke with a bit more energy, amazed as he viewed a very well made steak along with a very sweet smelling sauce.

"You should thank the cook book."

The silence came once more and this time Sonic became annoyed by it.

"Dad?"

Shadow's ears perked up as he listened.

'_He answered to dad!_' Sonic thought gleefully, '_This has to be a step forward!_' Sonic continued, "Why do you rarely smile?"

"What makes you ask that?" asked Shadow as he cut his steak.

"Well, ever since I woke up in that bizarre place," Sonic stabbed his own pre-cut steak with his fork, "you haven't smiled once."

Shadow didn't even bother looking up as he responded, "A child of your age wouldn't understand."

Sonic looked over Shadow's shoulder to a frame that hung carelessly on the wall, "Does it involve your two friends in the picture?"

Shadow didn't answer.

Sonic added, "They are the same people I saw in the other picture in your room."

"I think you've said enough." Shadow warned.

The silence came again and Sonic couldn't help but press on the subject.

"Do you have any memories of them?" Sonic asked curiously, '_If he does not remember me or the kingdom, maybe at least he remembers them!_'

Shadow glared at Sonic's curious expression but realized it was having no effect. Sonic held a look of determination that reminded him of,

'_Maria..._' Shadow sighed and spoke flatly, "I don't have many."

Sonic nodded and thought for a second. Shadow was about to stand and clear the plates when Sonic spoke,

"That is still fortunate."

'_Fortunate?_' Shadow looked at him and listened as Sonic continued.

"Well..." Sonic held Shadow's stare, '_Maybe if I talk about something similar to his current situation or something familiar to the kingdom, he will remember something!_'

He cleared his throat, "I have no memories of mom..." Sonic broke eye contact as he looked at his half eaten plate, "Everyone in the palace tells me how she would lighten up the darkest room and how there was rarely a frown on her face." Sonic looked at Shadow with a sad smile, "The closest I ever feel to knowing her is when you tell me stories about her, but..." Sonic sniffled a bit, "Those are your memories of her, just like the people in the palace have their own memories of her." Shadow saw Sonic wipe his eyes, "I never got to meet her in a way that I would remember her."

Shadow remained casual, but inside stirred many emotions,

'_Having no memories of someone very close to you..._' Shadow resisted to flashing back to the times he went through when he had absolutely _no_ memory.

'_I think it might be working!_' Sonic thought happily.

Both remained quiet for a few minutes as they reigned in their emotions.

'_Maybe a little bit more of a push and it might bring back an actual memory!_' Sonic began to speak with a lighter tone, "But there is one thing that always helps me and you taught it to me!"

Shadow was bewildered by the statement and listened.

"I always get a picture of her and look at it for a long time. Then I put it under the pillow and fall asleep!"

'_That seems... odd._' Shadow thought.

"Finally, if I concentrated hard enough, I can see her in my dreams!" Sonic smiled, "A dream can be considered a memory, right?"

Shadow didn't really know what to say, '_The whole idea seems... Bizarre..._'

'_Oh no!' _Sonic panicked,_ 'He looks even more confused than when we first started talking! Wait! Maybe I can jog his memory a different way!_' Sonic spoke up, "Um... dad?"

Shadow's ear twitched slightly, "Yes?"

"Do you have anything I can draw with?"

'... _He can change a subject suddenly, I'll give him that much._' Shadow nodded as he cleared the plates, "Sit on the couch and wait for a bit."

Sonic cheerfully ran to said location and jumped around before sitting down. Shadow walked over to Sonic, took out a briefcase from under the couch, and opened it. Inside were various paints, pens, pencils, color pencils, crayons, and paper.

"These utensils... They are... AMAZING!" Sonic automatically grabbed a paper and pencil and drew on the table.

Shadow grabbed a clipboard and a couple other things and began to draw as well. Soon Sonic finished his drawing and turned to Shadow.

"Want to see my drawing dad!"

Shadow saw a huge grin on Sonic's, a little too close for comfort, face, "I have a feeling I'll see it whether I want to or not."

Sonic only laughed as he turned the paper to show his work of art. Shadow held in his cringe,

"You still think I'm a knight don't you?"

Sonic's heart sank a bit, but he held his smile. The drawing showed Shadow in Lancelot's gear and Sonic with some gear of his own. A look of concentration with a sly grin was drawn on each face as they held a fighter's stance.

"I know you _are_ a knight. You just forgot!" Sonic ran into the room and came back with the poster he had grabbed before, "Please, can you try to get your memories back?"

Shadow looked at the poster and his serious face slowly turned to a scowl, "I already said no."

"But you did not even try to think about it!" Sonic complained.

Shadow sighed and stood up, "Let's start cleaning things up, it's getting late."

Sonic looked down slowly as his lip quivered, "A-alright..."

Everything was put back on the box and soon after, Shadow put Sonic to bed. No words were spoken during that time, not even a goodnight. Shadow slowly began to have a very unpleasant feeling in his mind and stomach after he sat down.

'_That look on his face._' Shadow closed his eyes, '_I can't get that look out of my head. Why?_'

He sighed heavily as he got up. He approached the picture that hung awkwardly on the wall and fixed it, '_I always say that I've put my past behind me, but e__very time I try to move on, I seem to find myself looking through the album you left behind on the Ark__._' Shadow looked at Maria's smile, '_For some reason every time I decide an action, good or bad, your face appears in my mind with either a smile or small frown. I thought forgetting you was for the best, mainly because then I would not feel influenced when making my decisions.' _he sighed,_ 'Maybe there's still a part of me that doesn't want to forget you completely because in the end, it knows you always had the best advice.' _Shadow stared at the shelf that held the album._ 'But there's something else...' _he walked over to the couch,_ 'You and I created memories and it wouldn't be fair if I just simply forgot them._'

Shadow sat down and saw the poster on the table. After picking it up, inspecting it, and thoroughly reading it, he took a very deep breathe.

"Shadow to G.U.N."

"What is it Agent Shadow?" The Commander's voice boomed through.

"I'm afraid I can't take the child in tomorrow. He is highly overwhelmed and any further study on him will most likely cause him to have a mental break down. I request a week's leave in order to have him adjust properly to our city and to see to it that his mental state is stable."

"... Granted. I expect our studies to go smoothly after that week."

"Understood."

The line went dead and Shadow placed his head in his hands, "I better not regret this."

**_AUTHORS NOTE: Below this note is one of the intros that didn't make it to the final draft of this chapter and I hope you can accept this as an apology for taking so long! :) Thank you so much for your patience, your reviews, favorites, and follows! If these draft pieces are something you all like to see (or not), let me know! I'm happy to hear, er, read everyone's opinions. _**

**_The intro took the longest to write mainly because I couldn't find a flow/structure to it (Wild brainstorms/mixed up notes XD). I also felt that there were moments where it was moving a bit too fast and I couldn't really capture much about the characters. With that said, please enjoy! ;) _**

**_Draft 1 Start_**

_Patter patter patter._

_Shadow's ears moved towards the sound and waited for it to appear again._

_Patter patter patter._

_With a sigh, he takes one more sip of his coffee and sets it down on the coffee table along with his newspaper. He quietly walked over to his bed room and found Sonic exploring his surroundings._

_"I thought you said you were going to take a nap." Shadow crossed his arms._

_"I was but then I suddenly felt energized."_

_Shadow rolled his eyes, "There's not much of a point if you stay in the room then." He began to walk away, "Follow me."_

_Sonic did as he was told and followed Shadow to the living room._

_"Sit down." Shadow looked under the couch and took out a medium sized box._

_When he opened it, Sonic's eyes widened as he saw a variety of what he believed were art supplies. Paint, colorful sticks, wooden color sticks, fancy pencils, and paper._

_"I don't use these as much as I would like to." He put them down on the coffee table in front of the sofa, "You're free to use them as much as you want."_

_"T-Thank you daddy!" Sonic jumped into Shadow giving him a large hug, but Shadow only patted Sonic's shoulder lightly._

_Sonic then happily began to sketch with one of the pencils. Shadow would occasionally peek past his newspaper and see the pure aw in Sonic's eyes whenever he lifted a crayon or colored pencil. His lip twitched a bit to a smile but disappeared as soon as it had appeared. Eventually, he heard a small growl and set down his paper._

_"I'll start dinner." Shadow walked away but felt Sonic's eyes on him._

**_Draft 1 end_**


	7. Progression

**HELLO EVERYBODY! Here's the new chapter! Thank you for your patience and hope you enjoy! I apologize ahead of time if this chapter is a tad short but expect the next one to be a bit longer! As usual, I own none of the characters or anything involving the Sonic Universe! Let's begin!**

"We are not as swift as _you_ Lancelot!" Gawain yelled from behind Percival.

"You know how he gets when he has a lead on something." Percival jumped high avoiding a cart that had just begun to cross her path behind a very fast running Lancelot.

"He said he needed us but then almost abandons us on the way to his destination! How does that make sense!?" Gawain complained.

"Have you considered that there is a possibility that you are just _too_ slow?" Lancelot commented, "Percival seems to be keeping up rather well."

Gawain glowered at the remark but remained silent as he dodged a swinging stick from a villager.

All three knights had managed to get through the castle at its busiest time and headed straight to where they had their battle with Mephiles.

"What is it that you are looking for?" asked Percival, "The only thing you said is that you needed us."

"Merlina is close to opening a time portal which will reunite me with Sonic." Lancelot stopped running when he saw the damages made from their fight, "She only needs one more thing," he looked at the knights, "a dark crystal."

"Then should we not head out to the dark kingdom to obtain the crystal?" Gawain asked.

"There is no need to make such a long journey when what you need is close by." Lancelot walked around searching, "I know I landed a blow on Mephiles that was strong enough to shatter a crystal off of him."

Both knights, catching on, began to search the areas where any sort of crater or large gash appeared.

"What does the Crystal even look like?" Wondered Gawain.

"If it gives you an off vibe then I am sure you have the right crystal." Answered Percival with a smile.

"That does not answer my question." Gawain mumbled inaudibly.

After a long time of searching and finding nothing, they decided to go back to Lancelot to see how he faired.

"I can not understand..." Percival and Gawain heard Lancelot speak in a very frustrated tone, "I _know_ I landed a blow on him! It was right _after_ I heard Sonic scream!"

"Do you not think there is a possibility Mephiles could have taken it?" Gawain questioned.

"He did not have the time nor did he have a chance to come back to this la-" Lancelot stopped when he noticed a figure slowly begin to enter the gates to the town.

"Is something the matter?" Asked Percival.

"Today is the day merchants from outside our walls are allowed entrance to our town to sell, correct?" Lancelot observed as the gate to the town was lowered.

"Yes." Gawain nodded.

"Do you think-" Percival was interrupted.

"Precisely." Lancelot began jogging back to town alongside his fellow knights.

**In Town**

"All shined up!" Spoke the merchant happily, '_Now to wait for someone to buy this lovely "jewel".'_

His chuckle eventually stopped when he noticed the knights of the roundtable before him. His eyes widened greatly before he spoke,

"M-my lords!" He bowed, "Welcome!" He bowed once more, "Welcome to my humble little shop!" A final bow was made and he began to rack his mind for a good sales pitch, "I have many jewels here that shall surely catch your interest." He smiled wryly as he leaned in and whispered, "Some are even known to have special powers."

"How does a merchant like yourself acquire such gems?" asked a skeptical Gawain, "You do not seem to be the type to fight for something so precious."

The merchant laughed, "I have received such comments and questions before. You see, I am but a traveler who trades things and collects in order to sell them and make a living."

Percival held a suspicious stare as she heard the explanation, but before she could say anything Lancelot began to speak.

"What you have here is not what I am looking for." He looked up from the assortment on the table to the merchant, "But since you show such pride as a traveling merchant, I am sure that you have something hidden away in your private stocks."

The merchant stared dumbfounded for a bit and then let off a wide smile, "You are indeed a very knowledgeable knight! It just so happens that I recently stumbled into a gem of unique elegance. Surely that will be what you seek."

Lancelot watched as the merchant sat on his chair and began to reach for something underneath the clothed table.

"Here it is!" The merchant rose excitedly and showed a very dark navy blue crystal, "It is said that this crystal actually comes from the Kingdom of Darkness! Those who enter are doomed to spend their lives in that kingdom, never to leave and see daybreak again." The merchant allowed Lancelot to hold the precious stone as he continued to speak, "Stones like these are extremely rare and are _highly_ valuable among wizards and kings." The merchant leaned on the table, "Such a rarity, of course, bears a hefty price."

"Is that so." Lancelot spoke unfazed, "Then answer me this."

The merchants lips went a tad dry.

"How do I know this crystal is real?" Lancelot stared down the merchant as he waited for his answer.

The merchant could feel sweat begin to form on his forehead as he frowned. A serious tone entered his voice, "I have sold gems for _years_!" He gestured to the crystal in Lancelot's hands, "Do you not see its _shine_!? Its _glow_!? The precise _cut_!?" He crossed his arms, "Surely, there should be no question to, not only this gem, but _ALL_ my gems!"

Lancelot observed the crystal once more. This time by putting it between his thumb and pointer finger then raising it so the sun could reflect on it. The merchant smiled but began to feel uneasy when a crease began to form on Lancelot's brow.

"This crystal..." Lancelot threw it high in the air and sliced it in half, "Is a fake."

The merchant jumped back in fear and shook when he saw his creation on the table before him, '_H-How?_'

"Fancy artwork on a common rock does not fool me." Lancelot held a furious glare causing the merchant to shrink back greatly, "Now where is the _real_ crystal?"

The merchant looked far more panicked as he spoke, "W-what makes you t-think I have the r-real crystal?!"

Gawain and Percival uncrossed their arms and began to walk past Lancelot towards the merchant.

"How long do you think his punishment will be for selling false stones?" Asked Gawain.

"W-wait!" The merchant yelled, "I..." He sighed and his shoulder dropped defeated, "I have the real one here." He reached into a hidden pocket in his sleeve and revealed the crystal. Hesitantly, he gave it to Lancelot who inspected the stone carefully and nodded,

"This is the one."

"Two priceless stones gone in a week..." The merchant sighed exasperatedly.

"Two?" Lancelot questioned as he looked up quickly at the merchant.

"Yes... I accidently sold a highly valuable stone to a little _brat_! Me!" He looked at his other gems, "Then again it was an honest mistake. I had detailed the fake so perfectly that even I could not tell the difference."

"What did the child look like?" Asked Percival.

"Blue, short, emerald eyes, very energetic," He began to mumble, "Maybe I can trick him to-"

The merchant let out a yelp of surprise when Lancelot grabbed his garbs and pulled him to meet him face to face.

"You are fortunate to have had what I needed."

"W-what?" The merchants eyes were wide with confusion, but saw that Lancelot was trying to control himself.

"I _DO NOT_ condone ill speak of _my son_!" Lancelot threw him back with a bit too much force causing the merchant to stumble and fall on his back.

The merchant bowed, fear completely coursing through him once more, "My apologies sire! I-It will not happen again!"

"Leave this market before you are turned in for forgery." Lancelot's glare was cold and the merchant needed nothing else to convince him. The crowd that had formed had already begun to disperse seeing that the show was now over.

"Let us hurry back to Merlina." Lancelot's fellow knight nodded and began to race as fast as possible to the castle.

Once they were inside, Lancelot split from the others to see Merlina. After going through the door, Merlina turned and smiled,

"Did you manage to find it?"

"Yes." Lancelot handed over the crystal to Merlina who inspected it excitedly.

After a simple nod, she began to read through her book, "You will be summoned as soon as the portal is ready."

"How long?"

"I should have it ready by tomorrow. If it is any earlier, you will of course be notified."

Lancelot nodded and a small smile appeared on his features, '_I will be with you soon son.'_ He began to walk to his room, '_Just hold on a little longer._'

**With Mephiles the Dark**

"YOU IDIOT!" Mephiles yelled from his throne furiously at the merchant, "You had ONE job! ONE!"

The merchant held his head down in a bow, never looking up.

"All you had to do was retrieve the crystal and return. THAT IS IT!" Mephiles stood and pointed at him, "But you! You disregard my orders to earn yourself mere pocket change!?"

"C-can you not just raise another army my king?" The merchant asked in a shaky voice.

Mephelis' eye twitched, but instead of yelling he walked over the bowed merchant.

"Do you want to know why I am a king you a mere merchant?" The merchant was confused at the change of topic but remained quiet as he saw Mephiles walk circles around him. "It is because only _one_ of us is capable of making a wise decision."

The merchant's tremble began to become noticeable, "You are always wise my king! Always!"

"I am starting to believe that you do not see things this way. So I shall allow you to answer your own question."

"N-no! I-I completely misspoke! P-please d-do not-"

"SILENCE!" Mephiles' voice echoed loudly, "Now you tell me, why can I not raise an army to retrieve what you idiotically gave away?"

"I do not know your highness!" The merchant cried desperately as he raised his head, "Only you are the wise one!"

Mephiles stopped walking and stared down the merchant for a minute. After what felt like an eternity, he spoke,

"NEVER question me again!" The merchant sighed relieved but his breath halted when Mephiles spoke once more with a harsh tone, "Take him to the dungeon!"

"N-NO!"

Two shadow soldiers appeared and began to drag the begging merchant away, "H-Have mercy your majesty!"

Mephiles merely ignored him as he began to walk towards his throne. He spoke to himself when his guards were gone,

"My armies are still weak thanks to those worthless knights and to make matters worse, that merchant gave them a ticket to the time era I sent his son to!" Mephiles sat down on the throne and an image of Sonic hugging his blanket appeard, "The child has not weakened much and on top of that," Shadow's image appeared next to Sonic's, "This copy is just starting to show kindness and heart to that _little brat_!" Mephiles slammed his fist on the arm rest. "This is not what I expected whatsoever! He was supposed to be _ruthless_! _Ignorant_! Not to show even a _hint_ of compassion!" He clenched his fists, "But that _kid_ had an effect on him."

He flashed back at how Sonic had interrupted his final blow to Lancelot and opened his eyes with a sneer, "You will not ruin another plan _child _and I will_ personally _make sure of it!"

Mephiles began to concentrate on the images when he noticed the poster on Shadow's coffee table. A circle was drawn on the date along with various activities. Next to it was a newspaper speaking of a genius who was constantly trying to take over the world and how he had not disturbed the city for some time. A wry smile appeared before his face as a new scheme came to his head.

"If I wait any longer I will lose my chance." Mephiles walked towards the center of the throne room, "So I believe it is time for me to cause all the chaos possible and collect my prize." He looked at the image that had the poster, "The list does say 'and various other prizes'."

His laugh echoed as he began to open a time portal for himself.

**And that is all for now! Again, thank you for your patience and your reviews and also Thank you for favoriting and following the story! :) Hopefully I'll have the next one up soon and like I said above, it should be a longer chapter. Until then, take care! :)**


	8. Please Remember

**Hello everbody and welcome back! As promised here is a slightly longer than usual chapter and I thank you all for your patience. :) As always, I do not own any of the Sonic characters or anything involving the Sonic Universe! Let's begin!**

"Really!?" yelled Sonic after listening to what Shadow had planned for the day.

"Don't get over excited. We're only going for a little bi-" Shadow didn't even get to finish his sentence as he got tackled by the little hyperactive hedgehog.

"Thank you father!"

Shadow rolled his eyes at the word 'father' and began to try and unglue the child from him, "Don't make me regret this..."

Sonic laughed as he raced off to put on the new clothes Shadow had bought him. When he closed the door Shadow heard a barely audible knock from the front door.

'_Who would come here so early__?_' Shadow walked over and opened the door just slightly in order to see who it was.

"Well aren't you cautious."

Shadow glared, "You're not welcome here Rouge."

He was about to close the door when she stuck her foot in the way.

"You bailed on our mission today." Rouge crossed her arms as her voice changed to a more sarcastic tone, "Don't tell me the Ultimate lifeform suddenly needed a vacation."

"I don't owe you any explanation." Shadow opened the door completely and crossed his arms as well, "I'm sure the commander gave you an update about everything already."

"He only said you were assigned a new mis-" Rouge was abruptly interrupted by a small voice.

"Daddy, who is this?" Sonic had come out of the room and had made his way towards the new voice he had heard while changing.

Rouge's eyes widened while Shadow remained completely relaxed.

"So you're the little hedgehog I've heard so much about at the base."

'_People have talked about me?_' Sonic pondered for a second.

She smiled and lowered herself to Sonic's eye level, "My name is Rouge the Bat. What's yours?"

Sonic stared at the newcomer and then at Shadow before he spoke, "M-my name is Sonic."

"It's nice to meet you little guy and I must say, your eyes rival the color of my shiny new emerald."

Sonic leaned his head to the side as Shadow asked, "Is that all you came for?"

"Someone has to keep an eye on you from time to time you know." Rouge winked as she stood and turned to walk away, "I'll-"

"Are you and my dad together?"

Shadow almost lost his stoic expression while Rouge froze mid-step. When she turned to look back, she saw Sonic with mixed emotions on his face, '_Looks like I accidently touched a nerve._' She looked directly at Sonic, "Sorry hun," Rouge put a hand on her hip and shook her head slowly as she smiled, "But I'm afraid your daddy simply isn't my type."

"We are only co-workers at the location I brought you from." Shadow added as he gave Sonic a light glare, "Understood?"

"Yes father." Sonic slightly bowed, "It was nice to meet you as well Rouge. I apologize for assuming such things."

Rouge chuckled and looked at Shadow, "Aren't you a proud father? He is very proper for his age."

Shadow only grunted as Rouge turned her back on them once more.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have my own darlings to look out for." She walked away as she waved, "Bye-bye."

Once she was out of earshot, Shadow spoke, "Was that question really necessary?"

"I-I just thought that... maybe..." Sonic looked down, "I thought that you had moved on from mom."

A small silence came in but was immediately stopped by Shadow, "Are you ready to go?"

Sonic looked up and smiled widely, "Yes!"

Shadow closed the door behind him as soon as Sonic ran out.

"Are you sure you do not have my suit of armor dad?" Sonic asked as he looked down at his new red sneakers.

"I already told you my answer therefore I am _not_ repeating myself."

Sonic sighed, '_I guess it does not matter if I fit in or not. The whole goal is to get dad to go to the faire and try to get back his memories!_'

_'He has that fire in his eyes._' Shadow sighed as he observed Sonic closely, _'This is going to be a long day._'

**At the Faire**

"Welcome to Ye old Camelot Renissance Faire!"

Shadow walked through the crowd silently and watched as Sonic looked around in awe.

"There are so many different people here!" Sonic exclaimed as he saw the various costumes.

"Stay close." Shadow grabbed Sonic's shoulder, "The last thing I want to do is search for you in this crowd."

Sonic nodded, "Everything looks similar but different at the same time. I do not even know where to begin!"

_'I wonder.'_ Shadow started walking towards a booth and Sonic's eyes grew excited as soon as he saw what was there.

"Welcome villagers to our shooting gallery!" A maiden said as she approached them, "Would you like to give it a try?"

"I do!" Sonic yelled.

The maiden smiled, "Such a young lad and you already desire to put your skills to the test?"

Sonic nodded, "This is nothing new to me."

The girl chuckled, "How about we start you off with a slingshot?"

Sonic looked at Shadow who was already taking out his wallet from his quills, '_I had a feeling he would want to do this._'

Once the maiden was paid Sonic picked up the slingshot and aimed. The girl was shocked when all the targets were hit directly in the middle and knocked down.

"I-I am impressed!" The girl clapped as she gave Sonic his prize.

Sonic held up the small bracelet close to his face and observed it closely, '_I feel like I am forgetting something... hm..._'

"Ready for something else?" Shadow asked.

"Actually," Sonic looked at the girl, "May I try the bow?"

"Of course!"

Once she was paid again she pointed to something further back, "Over there are the targets for archery. If you get a bullseye on each one, a special charm shall be given to you. I wish you the best!"

Sonic got in a stance and pulled back the arrow.

'_This kid... He's done this more than once before._' Shadow watched with interest as Sonic released the arrow, '_This reminds me of the time Gerald had me practice my chaos spear._'

***Flashback***

"You can do it Shadow!" Yelled Maria from the sidelines.

A younger Shadow concentrated on the floating bots that surrounded him, '_Remember, don't force the energy out until the right moment._'

Within seconds a spear was inserted in each one causing an explosion.

Maria applauded as Gerald walked into the training room, "Very well done Shadow!" He patted Shadow's shoulder.

Maria ran straight into Shadow and hugged him tight, "It's like you've done this all your life!"

"M-Maria!" Shadow struggled a bit, "I c-can't breathe!"

She chuckled as she loosened her grip and felt her best friend hugging her back.

***End Flashback***

People nearby stared awestruck and then cheered for Sonic who had landed all five arrows in the bull's-eye.

"Amazing!" Yelled the girl, "Here is your second prize!"

She handed him a shield and sword charm to add to the new bracelet he had won prior.

"Let's go." A ghost of a smile appeared on Shadow's face as he walked away.

"Thank you!" Sonic smiled and ran right behind Shadow, "Can we go see the jousting and sword fight events next?"

Shadow simply nodded and headed towards a small outside arena. The wooden benches were far from comfortable and the sun showed no hints of letting up anytime soon, but Sonic still cheered as loud as he could whenever the knight managed to land a blow on the opponent while Shadow quietly observed their tactics. After watching for a while, Shadow offered Sonic something,

"What is this?" Sonic looked at the white and yellow substance curiously.

"It's buttered popcorn." Shadow said matter of factly and ate one to show Sonic it was safe to eat.

Sonic took a kernel and popped it into his mouth, "So delicious!"

Shadow handed the entire thing to Sonic and watched how Sonic downed it easily. He then gave Sonic a water bottle to quench the thirst he knew he had. Another jousting match had started and this time, one of the Knights landed close to a muddy substance.

"This reminds me of the time you and Gawain were jousting outside the castle." Sonic laughed, "When you struck Gawain down he fell into a mud puddle and yelled," Sonic lowered his voice as he tried to imitate Gawain's voice, "This better be pure mud Lancelot!"

Shadow remained quiet as Sonic told his small tale.

"He always does his best even when he knows that beating you is impossible." Sonic leaned his head on Shadow's arm, "I just wish you could remember it all so you could laugh with me."

Shadow continued his silence and unconsciously caressed Sonic's quills. But the moment didn't last long when the announcer spoke,

"We are looking for one volunteer to take part in the opening sword match!" The announcer jestered to his right, "Who would like to go up against our very own Sir Lancelot!?"

"Surely you jest!"

Everyone turned to look at Sonic and Shadow didn't even have a chance to stop Sonic's next words, "My father is Sir Lancelot! Knight of the Roundtable and protector of our beloved home, Camelot!"

Everyone began to whisper amongst themselves while Shadow didn't even _try_ to hide his really annoyed expression.

"We have a volunteer then!" The announcer yelled.

People cheered while Shadow glared at Sonic, but it had no effect. Sonic grabbed Shadow's hand and took him straight to the announcer.

"While our challenger puts on his armor-" The announcer was interrupted.

"I don't need armor." Shadow took the blade from the maiden, "Let's just get this over with."

The announcer blinked in surprise, "S-surely _that_ is a je-" Shadow's glare made him stop, "Let the battle begin!"

The announcer rushed off while Sonic spoke quietly, "I believe in you dad!"

A quick hug was the last thing Sonic did as he went on to the sidelines with the announcer.

"You are my opponent!? Ha!" The slightly taller and suited Mobian got into stance, "One so short should have remained silent. _Especially_ when they want to impersonate _me_, Sir Lancelot!"

Shadow took his stance as well, '_Never thought I'd use my sword training on this._'

The acting Lancelot charged straight towards Shadow with a high raised sword, "You are finished!"

Sonic watched with a grin, '_That swordsman just started and already he has made a mistake._'

Shadow didn't break a sweat as he side stepped the oncoming attack and swung down, stopping right behind the actor's neck.

"W-what?"

The crowd erupted into cheers at how fast Shadow had beaten the knight.

"My fellow people, meet our new Sir Lancelot!" The announcer's voice held both shock and excitement.

Sonic walked up to Shadow and hugged him tightly while a maiden gave Shadow a medal. Shadow remained with a poker face as he began to walk off with Sonic by his side.

Throughout the rest of the day they had gone left and right, occasionally dealing with people and Mobians who wanted to take a picture with them, watching plays, watching a few other sword fights that occured randomly in the town, watching fire tamers, played a few more medieval games, and listened to various musical performances.

'_Why do people enjoy this?_' Shadow wondered as he took a bite off his giant turkey leg. Sonic was too busy with his own turkey leg to notice the pensive look on Shadow's face, '_He knows more about renaissance life styles than any book you could pick up and read. I wonder if his family lives this lifestyle in this modern age._' He took another bite, '_That would be strange, let alone nearly impossible._'

Sonic suddenly interrupted his thoughts and asked, "How do you feel?"

Shadow raised an eye brow and lowered the turkey leg.

"Do you feel any... different?" Sonic asked shyly.

Shadow sighed as he realized what Sonic meant, "I've already told you that I am not the person you think I am. For all we know, you may be confusing me for someone else."

"But I _know_ it is you!" Sonic suddenly raised his voice, "Aside from looking the same you are also strong and swifter than wind! You even beat the imposter within seconds of starting the match! I _know_ you are him!"

Shadow absorbed what he heard and then spoke, "I'll tell you the truth one more time."

Sonic looked up with a desperate look.

"I a-" Shadow was interrupted by loud fanfare that was coming down the road.

"King Arthur has arrived!" Yelled the villagers.

Sonic stood up and began to run away but stopped when Shadow blocked him.

"We have to see King Arthur!" Sonic shouted as he was picked up by Shadow and thrown over his shoulder.

"I think we've been here long enough." Shadow stated as he walked. People were too distracted to hear Sonic's protests.

"P-please!" Sonic yelled, "I promise I will do anything you say if you take me to see him!" Shadow stopped as Sonic continued, "I will not question anything new nor will I ever bother you about trying to bring back your memories! I will even go back to that scary place with you and do as they say as well! I swear upon my honor as a knight!"

Shadow remained quiet for a while before sighing and putting Sonic down gently. He gave him a tissue to wipe the tears away, "You would go as far as giving up your freedom?"

Sonic nodded and hugged Shadow tighter than ever.

"Fine." Shadow patted Sonic's head, "Word of advice." Sonic's ears perked up at Shadow's following words, "You should be careful with what you promise and who you are promising it to."

"I do not have to be careful when it comes to you dad." To Sonic's surprise, Shadow didn't flinch, make a face, roll his eyes, or even deny it when he said 'dad' this time.

After navigating through the field full of stands, they reached a very large and very loud crowd.

"Hail King Arthur!" Cried out the villagers.

King Arthur stood proud at his large table and spoke with conviction, "My people of Camelot! I thank thee for joining me in our annual celebration!" King Arthur brought up a chalice, "Drink and eat your fill and may we have another great year!"

Music erupted while villagers spoke amongst themselves, "I wonder why he hasn't taken off his helmet?"

King Arthur's ears perked up after his servant spoke with him briefly. He quickly began to talk once more, "News has reached my ears that a great archer and a fine swordsman walk among us!"

The people looked at one another and then back at their king.

"A young lad with a blue pelt and a young man with scarlet eyes!"

"King Arthur!" Yelled Sonic from the crowd.

The crowd hurriedly split and began to play music once more.

"Come forth child with your guardian and dine with us!" King Arthur beckoned to Sonic who rushed over without a second thought.

'_I feel uneasy._' Shadow thought as he walked behind Sonic. His ears twitched slightly, '_We're leaving as soon as this feast is over._'

Sonic sat down next to Arthur while Shadow sat as close as possible to Sonic.

"King Arthur, why have you not removed your helmet?" Asked Sonic, "Will you not take part of the feast?"

King Arthur chuckled, "Always observant I see."

Sonic laughed, "My king, my father has lost his memories and has no clue of his origins. Please, is there _any_ way you can jog his memory?"

Arthur put a hand to his chin and thought for a brief moment before speaking, "I am afraid I cannot help you in bringing back his memory young one, for a spell was cast upon your father."

Shadow's eyes narrowed, '_What is he trying to pull?_'

Sonic's ears flattened a bit, "Then tell me, how can I break the spell and restore his memory? Is there a wizard like Merlina who I can speak with?"

"They are very into their roles." Whispered the people who watched in aw thinking the whole thing was a genuine act.

"One of my many servants will look into it, my child." Spoke Arthur.

Someone stood up and left ready to find the new wizard.

"Until he returns with the information needed, please," King Arthur pet Sonic's quills, "eat your fill and let your mind rest of your worries."

Shadow looked down and grew slightly concerned when he saw Sonic shiver. He was barely audible when he asked, "What is it?"

Sonic looked up at Shadow, the look of fear in his eyes, "I... I think you were right about us leaving."

Within seconds, an explosion was heard from the arena.

"Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho!"

**Back in the Past**

"It is time Lancelot." Merlina spoke to Lancelot, "Where are the others?" Merlina questioned, "Will you travel alone?"

"The others are to stay here in case Mephiles makes his return." Lancelot adjusted his glove, "Besides, I am the swiftest of all of us."

"What if Mephiles appears in the timeline you enter?" Merlina questioned.

"Then I will take him down along with that imposter." Lancelot spoke seriously.

"I do not think it is wise to go to a different world alone." Merlina spoke as she walked to her cauldron, "Personally, I believe your emotions are beginning to get the better of you."

"You may think as you wish." Lancelot said nothing more as Merlina lifted her staff.

"I command thee!" The liquid in the cauldron grew bright and formed a portal covered with locks and chains, "Break the locks of shadows that block our path through time!"

The light grew much more intense causing the shadow crystal to rise. Within a blink, the crystal shot seven spurts of dark energy into the locks placed by Mephiles, causing them to unlatch and fall along with the chains. Lancelot stared through the portal as images began to appear.

His eyes widened, "What is going on?"

**And so we end it here... With a tiny cliff hanger... Of doom... XD Anywho, Thank you all for reading, leaving reviews, following, and favoriting! I know I say that _a lot_, to a point that it seems mechanical, but know that it is _always_ a genuine thank you. I truly do appreciate receiving your thoughts, criticism, your excitement for the next chapter, thoughts about the characters, and the list goes on. Until the next one everyone! **

**Now... Where did I leave my brainstorming notebook...**


	9. Dark Deeds

**Hello everybody! No this is NOT an April fools joke! It's the real deal and It is good to be back! Didn't think I disappeared forever did you? I apologize for the long wait but this was definitely not an easy chapter. There are so many ways things could have gone but I finally decided on how this adventure will continue. I kid you not, I just flat out didn't know what to do and next thing I knew it's been close to one year with no update. Again I AM VERY SORRY for the long wait and well, I own none of the characters and lets starts!**

"Ho Ho Ho Ho Ho!" Eggman laughed, "Here I thought you would jump and scream with excitement with this new mechanical upgrade to the faire."

Half the people were already evacuated from the event while the others tried to dodge debris that the robots made. Shadow had already picked up Sonic on the first explosion and ran trying to find a place for Sonic to hide.

"What is that thing!?" Sonic yelled out as Eggman appeared before them.

"Thing!?" Eggman narrowed his eyes, "This mechanism is built and powered by strong forces that are beyond your knowledge!" He crossed his arms, "Calling it a _thing_ is a pure insult!"

The giant robot raised an arm in order to smash down the hedgehogs.

"Chaos," Shadow concentrated energy to his free hand, "Spear!"

A shower of spears hit the robots eye sensors causing it to back up into an empty stand. This gave Shadow an opportunity to get away from the robot and find a place for Sonic to hide.

"Dad, you have to fight back." Sonic told Shadow, "I will be fine." Shadow looked down at Sonic and listened, "I have the ability to be as swift as you, remember?"

Shadow soon stopped at a stand that was far away from the destruction and set Sonic down inside, "If any of those," Shadow pointed at the robot, "come anywhere near you, run as far away as possible. Until then, you are to stay here." Shadow checked inside his quills and once he found what he was looking for, he got on one knee and put the communicator on Sonic's wrist, "When you need to get in touch with me, press this button, speak, and then let the button go."

Sonic repeated the motion Shadow had done and spoke into it, "Like this?"

Shadow had lifted his up and spoke into it as well, "Exactly."

Sonic looked at the communicator curiously when he heard Shadow's voice but refrained from asking any questions that would keep stalling and instead said,

"I did not get a chance to say this before you fought the Shadow King." Sonic hugged Shadow even tighter than before, "Please be careful dad."

Shadow felt a bit awkward for a second before he patted Sonic's back, "You have nothing to worry about."

He stood up and raced off towards an oncoming robot. A spin dash was all he needed to get through the simple drone.

"Shadow, what's the update?" The G.U.N. Commander asked through Shadow's second communicator.

"The drones should be no problem for the soldiers." Shadow dodged an oncoming laser and destroyed another drone with a spear, "I'm currently headed towards Eggman's main robot."

"Soldiers will be there shortly." Was the last thing the commander said.

Eggman had already destroyed a third of the faire when Shadow confronted him once more.

"What are you up to this time Eggman?"

"If you must know, I-" Eggman looked around, "Where _is_ your little _sidekick_?"

"..." Shadow remained silent with his arms crossed as he pondered, '_Why does he want to know about Sonic?_'

"No matter, as soon as I find that Chaos Emerald, I'll be on my way."

'_Chaos Emerald?_' Shadow dodged the barrage of oncoming missiles, '_Could he be searching the Chaos signature Sonic is giving out?_'

Shadow got close to the robot and charged up his attack, "Chaos Spear!"

The barrage of spears hit the robots arm, causing it to make minor explosions heading up to the head.

'_Wait... I destroyed his eye sensors._' The robot aimed to smash Shadow with his other arm, '_How does it know where I am?_'

The arm came down quickly but Shadow had already jumped out of the way and climbed up the arm.

"Chaos Blast!""

As soon as the attack made contact, the robot began to crumble. Shadow landed on his feet on the the ground and couldn't help but wonder, '_Why hasn't Eggman made a run for it like he normally does?_'

Eggman remained serious for a while and Shadow's eyes hardened when he saw a shadow slowly seep out of Eggman's shade. The plain shadow poured into the robot's shadow and began to blend together, forming a new challenger.

"Ugh... My head." Eggman held his head as he grumbled, "What happened? Where am I?" He looked down, "WHAT HAPPENED TO MY ROBOT!? Hedgehog! Explain all this!?"

Shadow grunted, "You're a genius aren't you?"

"Well _anyone_ can see that a certain _someone_ destroyed it!" Eggman rubbed the temples of his head, "It wasn't even ready for combat yet!" Eggman slammed his fist on the egg carrier, "When I find out who-"

Shadow got in a stance when he noticed a heavily armored, two times taller than him shadow appear before him. Soon, yells from other soldiers began to reach his sensitive ears.

"The drones! Why are their shadows taking form!?"

"... You're on your own hedgehog!" Eggman quickly disappeared.

The new shadow soldier rushed towards Shadow and began to swing its swords around furiously. Shadow would duck, jump, and backflip to avoid all the attacks. Finally, he jumped further back,

"Chaos Spear!"

The spear hit the targets sword but quickly regenerated as the shadows quickly gathered to the empty spot. The shadow had an eerie chuckle before lifting up its sword again, this time having a similar glow to the chaos energy from the spears. With one swing, the spears went flying back towards Shadow. Shadow barely had time to dodge and ended up with a flesh wound on his leg. He glared daggers into the shadow and slowly stood up, wincing slightly at the small burn the chaos energy left. Soon, both charged each other once more and while both continued their battle, a portal began to open near the former entrance of the faire.

**With Sonic**

Sonic waited patiently for his father's return in the little stand. So far, nothing had reached the location he was in and he couldn't help but worry as he paced back and forth.

"Please come back soon dad..." Sonic whispered to himself.

He picked up a slingshot off one of the lower shelves and inspected it. His ears perked up all of a sudden when he heard the grass crunch behind him.

"Dad?" Sonic looked behind himself and froze slightly, "K-King Arthur?"

Said King stepped forward and hugged Sonic close, but the child trembled worse than before. King Arthur let out a cold laugh and Sonic's eyes shrunk upon hearing the voice.

"I see you still carry that despicable item." Was what the King said as he gripped Sonic's arm with one hand and took off the helmet with the other.

"M-Mephiles!" Completely forgetting about the communicator, Sonic desperately began to try and pull away, but instead had his other arm captured, "Let go or else my father-"

"Your father is the least of my concerns right now child." Sonic noticed a shadow move below him and begin to rise up, enveloping him completely.

"Consider this a gift from your future king." Mephiles grinned broadly, "Soon even you will be able to survive in my kingdom." Sonic was completely paralyzed as he continued to listen to Mephiles, "But until then, I have a mission for you."

Sonic's eyes teared up as he tried to shake his head.

"If your pathetic father joins forces with that other hedgehog I will most likely have problems in the future." Mephiles brought Sonic closer, "You will ensure that there is no alliance after I finish here!"

The shadow used to infect Sonic had begun to fade completely into him.

"Are you not proud little one?" Mephiles chuckled, "You are already becoming of use to me."

Sonic whimpered as he felt the new energy swirl inside him.

"One more thing," Mephiles spoke as he stood up still holding Sonic, "You are not allowed to communicate to anyone in any way or form about your mission. Am I understood?"

Sonic felt his head nod involuntarily as he succumbed to sleep.

Mephiles smirked at the sleeping hedgehog in his arms as he heard in the distance,

"CHAOS BLAST!"

"What a fool to believe he can beat my shadows so easily." Mephiles concentrated and called back his armored shadow, "But I assume there is no harm in making him believe in his abilities."

His shadow shrieked as it played the part of being defeated.

"I assume that now would be a good time to return you." Mephiles spoke to the unconscious form as he stood up and brought down the helm to cover his face.

As if on cue, Shadow appeared by the stand and glared at "King Arthur". Said King merely stepped forward and placed Sonic in his arms. Shadow's sight never left the hedgehog as he tried to see through the helmet's helm.

**With Lancelot**

Lancelot jumped through the now completed portal and saw many stands had been demolished. Many shadow creatures had been summoned to battle and people who had remained were trying to desperately get away after realizing it wasn't part of an act,

'_Mephiles must be nearby._' He began to rush though with his Arondight in hand, slashing through any of Mephiles' creatures that stood in his way, '_Where are you Sonic?_'

He noticed immediately a blue hedgehog being held by no one else but his look alike and in front of him was the self proclaimed King Arthur. Lancelot hid himself behind one of the unbroken stands and observed.

'_Mephiles_...' Lancelot growled in his mind, '_He amuses himself with such trickery but even_ _so_, _you cannot hide such dark aura.' _Lancelot studied the second hedgehog,_ 'He appears to have no weapons but i__t would still be unwise for me to approach them now. They could easily overpower me together._'

Though it went against his nature, Lancelot stood his ground and remained in observation even though his fatherly instincts yelled out at him to just grab Sonic and run.

**With Shadow**

'_What happened to him?_' Shadow could feel the sweat in the child's quills and fur. He then felt Sonic's forehead, '_A fever? How?_'

"Seems like the commotion took a tole on the little one." The supposed King Arthur spoke as he approached them.

Shadow glared and unconsciously held Sonic closer.

'_Perfect, Sir Lancelot has spotted us._' Mephiles grinned under his helmet and spoke a tad louder, "Excellent work Shadow!" He patted said hedgehog's shoulder and only received a cold stare as he lowered his voice, "I recommend you be on your way, it seems things have died down here."

"I don't take orders." Shadow spoke firmly.

Mephiles shrugged and began to walk away but stopped when he received an unexpected question.

"Who are you?"

"Why does that concern you?"

Shadow merely stood his ground.

'_What a nuisance_.' Mephiles shrugged, "Someone here is after the child, I figured I would let you know."

"Who?" Shadow continued questioning.

Mephiles grew annoyed of the unplanned conversation and melted into the ground.

"Hey!" Shadow hesitated in following when he heard Sonic moan slightly and instead began to walk away to a different area, '_I can't worry about him now, I need to get Sonic home to treat him before he gets any worse._'

**With Lancelot**

"I need to follow him!" Lancelot jumped back when he realized his own shadow had changed. He raised his sword and the shadow quickly left his own.

"Welcome to the new time period useless knight."

"Mephiles!" Lancelot charged head on but Mephiles only chuckled as he dodged each of the father's swings, slowly taking him further from Sonic and Shadow.

"You have become predictable." Mephiles teased, "Perhaps all that worrying has taken its toll?"

Lancelot growled, "Tell me, am I right when I say that the abomination that is holding my son is one of your clones?"

Mephiles laughed, "You may assume what you wish."

Lancelot used that small distraction to race after Shadow but was blocked by Mephiles swinging down a copy of his Arondight.

"Now now," Mephlles pointed the sword at Lancelot, "I believe I have told you before that you can not go after him."

In the distance, they heard a voice call out, "Chaos Control!"

Lancelot ran around Mephiles, past the row of stands he was hiding behind when he was observing the other hedgehog and felt his heart drop.

"I believe that you were too slow once-"

Mephiles had no time to finish his sentence and blocked when Lancelot brought down his own sword. He attacked with enough force to crack the Arondight crystal copy.

"Such strength," Mephiles smirked, "A pity that it is far from enough."

A shadow melted to his blade and began to fix the crack. Lancelot continued to try to push Mephiles back with his blade but soon enough found himself being slowly overpowered. His eyes began to slowly widen as he realized his predicament.

"You have made many mistakes Lancelot." Mephiles spoke calmly as he shoved Lancelot back causing him to stumble, "Your first was attacking my kingdom," Lancelot just barely managed to dodge a side swing from Mephiles, "the second was thinking that you could defeat me in battle on your own in your current state," Mephiles made a jump attack forcing Lancelot to protect himself with his sword, "and the third was believing that you could save your little brat."

This time Mephiles shoved Lancelot hard enough to make him land on his back. Soon, Lancelot found his blade's copy pointed at his neck.

"I could end you here, leave you with the bitter taste of knowing that your son will become one of my possessions." He paused as he lifted the helm of Lancelot's helmet so he could observe said hedgehog's tired eyes and placed the tip of his sword back at his throat, "But I would much prefer to see your reaction when he is living within the barricades of my kingdom." He chuckled as a new idea formed in his head, his eyes gleamed with amusement, "And believe me when I say I will savor every moment when he grows to become one of my strongest Knights, trained to fight that kingdom you have both grown so fond of."

An image flashed before Lancelot's eyes of his adult son wearing the dark kingdom's armor that bore a large insignia representing the kingdom on his chest plate. He held a much sleeker sword that had a heavy feel due to the shadows that danced around it like a flame. He smirked as he raised the blade, "So long, father."

Mephiles enjoyed seeing the reactions play on Lancelot's face, "I am sure he will progress quickly, seeing as being a knight runs in your bloodline."

Lancelot snapped out of it and growled, "I will never allow that to happen!"

"Keep believing that, repeat it to yourself constantly and let your hope rise." Mephiles grinned with pure malice showing his sharp fangs, "It will only hurt you more when you witness it all happen."

Lancelot swung Arondight in frustration, disregarding the sword he had pointed at him, and landed a blow on Mephiles' side. His breathing was ragged and he could barely stand by how weak he suddenly felt.

"Merely a flesh would compared to what I have done to you." Mephiles approached Lancelot who swung his sword towards his head. Mephiles made contact with his own right at the hilt of the blade and shoved it aside disarming the hedgehog. Mephiles kicked him down only this time he kept his foot on Lancelot's chest.

"I will be taking a small momento of our little chat." He reached into the side pouch Lancelot carried and pulled out a small Amethyst orb.

"I wonder how you will get back home without this." Mephiles stepped away and began to sink into his own shadow, "Try not to keep me waiting for too long dishonored knight."

Lancelot didn't know what to do or say. Mephiles was right, he had lost his honor as a knight after being defeated so easily. On top of that, he was emotionally drained after the days of constant worrying, he felt tired due to his lack of sleep and insufficient nutrition, and now he was trying to come to terms with a new feeling,

_'This feeling of utter helplessness.' _Lancelot growled at himself and shook his head as he slowly stood up, '_I cannot allow him to get in my head! I will not give up so easily Mephiles. Honor or no honor, that matters not when family is priority. Something that you will never understand._' He closed his eyes momentarily, '_He was sleeping peacefully in his arms.' _He let out an empty chuckle as he stabbed the ground with his sword to support himself. All adrenaline had faded leaving him completely worn out, '_I saw no wounds, but still, that does not mean they have not done a thing to him.'_

His ears perked up when he heard stomps headed his way. A couple G.U.N. Soldiers surrounded him with their weapons aimed,

"By the order of G.U.N. you are to be taken in!"

'_Another distraction... Perfect..._'

**Well everyone, thank so much for reading and your patience! Hopefully this chapter makes up for the wait. As always, your reviews are HIGHLY appreciated as well as your favorites and follows. Shout out to the guests also who check in to see if any new updates have been done! I will do my best to try and update faster especially the other stories as well if there's one there that you like. And well, yeah. Hopefully I'll see you guys soon and take care! Honestly, who thought this was an April Folls joke when they saw this in their notifications? XD**


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